Story Network
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of us in some way, and our project is working to ensure that those who have suffered the most are centered in our efforts to tell stories about this time. Stitching is slow work, and not everyone has the time, or physical ability, to participate. Our ‘Story Network’ invites folks to share their stories in whatever way is most comfortable, and be paired with an artist or designer who will create an image based on these experiences. These images will be made into stitching patterns for our volunteers to make blocks, or portions of blocks, and be part of the larger project. See below for how you can share your story, sign up to create images, or stitch.
As we work to create even more accessibility and raise more funding to support this work, we aim to sponsor the creation of blocks by folks experiencing financial precarity, whether due to pandemic circumstances or exacerbated by them, and be able to pay stitchers for their time. Stay tuned for those opportunities as they develop…
Many thanks to the City of Boulder’s "Experiments in Public Art" program for supporting the launch of this new effort!
Share your story
We invite you to share your experiences in any format that makes sense to you. That could be writing, photos or images, recording yourself talking, or we could have a conversation via email or phone.
Create designs
If you are an artist, designer, or illustrator, sign up to create designs based on the stories that have been shared with us. These will be translated into patterns for volunteers to stitch.
Volunteer to stitch
Sign up to stitch a block on behalf of folks who, for a variety of reasons, cannot stitch themselves. We are committed to centering the stories of those most impacted by the COVID pandemic.
Are you a community leader, teacher, or organizer?
Are you part of an organization, community center, social services group, medical facility, neighborhood, or simply an individual that would love to bring this network to your people? Please reach out to me via the link below to discuss how this project can come to your town, and bring local people together.
How this works:
We can implement the network in a couple ways:
1- You can share this page with your network, and recruit storytellers and designers, and possibly stitchers, too, from your local area. We can discuss how to archive and exhibit these stories within your local community, while also incorporating them into the larger project via the completed blocks.
2- We can coordinate our roster of designers and stitch volunteers to work with storytellers in your community.
3- You might have a better idea that fits your own community’s needs because each community knows themselves better than anyone else—get in touch if you would like to adapt this work to your needs.
Our first ‘Story Network’ exhibition will take place on Oct 7 at east window gallery in Boulder.