The Museum of Work & Culture, a division of the Rhode Island Historical Society, will host Jayna Zweiman for an artist talk as part of its Welcome Blanket special exhibit programming.
Zweiman will speak on her craftivist (craft + activist) artistic practice and discuss the origins and development of Welcome Blanket, a project that invites handcraft makers to create blankets and share stories important to them about immigration, migration, or relocation that become symbolic and practical gifts of welcome for new refugees coming to the United States. These gifts are collected, cataloged, and displayed at art institutions and exhibitions. Thanks to Zweiman’s help and support, the Museum of Work and Culture has collected over 330 blankets that will be gifted to refugees through Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island. These blankets will be displayed in the museum’s rotating gallery until November 30th.
Zweiman is an architecturally-trained multidisciplinary designer and social entrepreneur. Her independent practice combines architecture, art, craft, and new media to focus on experiences that overlap physical, virtual, and conceptual spaces. Her work is about civic intimacy, accessibility, and joy. Zweiman has become a leading advocate of using design innovation to enact social change, perhaps most visibly with the pink hats worn by demonstrators during the 2017 Women’s March. Her innovations in craftivism have been rooted in design strategies to make spaces and systems for people to connect through craft.
Light refreshments will be served.
Welcome Blanket is made possible with the support of Welcome Blanket and Jayna Zweiman, Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, the Blackstone Valley Piecemakers Quilting Guild, and the Blackstone Valley Quilting Company.
To learn more about Welcome Blanket, visit welcomeblanket.org or follow Welcome Blanket on Instagram.
The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state's oldest and only statewide historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting and sharing Rhode Island's past to enrich the present and inspire the future. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st -century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center and the Aldrich House.
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