Submissions now open, installation on view through December 31, 2022
Woven into the fabric of our country is a fundamental idea: our diversity, multiple perspectives, and personal stories make the United States great. In our enduring commitment to “welcome the stranger,” the Skirball Cultural Center is honored to collect and display blankets submitted to artist and activist Jayna Zweiman’s national Welcome Blanket project.
“Political activism can take many forms. Welcome Blanket takes the notion one step further: individuals and organizations can powerfully express their democratic values through crafting and visual statements, all the while creating a useful object to give to someone, that is ceremoniously kind, engaging, and politically powerful,” Zweiman said.
Welcome Blanket invites knitters, quilters, and other handcraft makers to create blankets and write personal notes for new refugees arriving to the US. Through December 31, 2022, the Skirball will collect, catalog, and present a display of donated blankets on site. After the installation ends, more than thirty partner refugee resettlement groups will then present these tangible gifts of welcome to our newest neighbors.
Use your artistry to help a new arrival feel at home in the United States!
With your blanket, please include a story important to your family about immigration, migration, or relocation along with some words of welcome for the recipient of your gift. Please be sure to include your name (anonymous is okay!), city/state, and care instructions.
Mail or deliver to:
Welcome Blanket
Skirball Cultural Center
c/o Marlene Braga
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
Find blanket patterns and notecard templates on welcomeblanket.org/getinvolved.
