The Arlington Heights Memorial Library celebrated the art of making with the grand opening of its newest exhibit, Community & Craftivism, showcasing how art can become an opportunity to build community and advocate for change, one stitch at a time.
Partners, community members and more stopped by the library on Thursday, June 12 to be among the first to view the exhibit including community-driven quilts, art projects created through craftivism and more, all curated by the library in partnership with artist and activist Shannon Downey. In the spirit of community, 279 people contributed to the pieces that are on display in the library throughout June and July.
Many in attendance, such as Arlington Heights resident Jan Tossman, were there to view artwork they had a hand in contributing. Tossman was one of more than 60 people who created a square for the library’s Pride Community Quilt, with all of the unique panels created by members of the Arlington Heights community.
“I have a trans daughter, so I wanted to honor her with a square for the quilt,” Tossman said. “The panel is in the trans colors, pink and blue, and it says, ‘I Love My Trans Daughter.’ It is exciting to see all the other [squares] too. It’s a sense of pride in our children and our families and our loved ones.”
Quilters Maggie Hendricks and Heather Kinion, who both previously knew Downey through their work with the Chicago Modern Quilt Guild, assembled the Pride Community Quilt. Hendricks was in attendance to see the quilt on display for the first time.
“I hope that people really do get a chance to look at all the work that has been done on the individual squares because I was truly having my breath taken away,” Hendricks said. “They were so beautiful and thoughtful and truly evoked a lot, both LGBTQ+ pride, and also pride in Arlington Heights.”
The library’s Pride Community Quilt was inspired by the National AIDS Memorial Quilt, which is considered the largest art project in history. The AIDS Memorial Quilt remembers the lives of those lost to HIV/AIDS.
A 12-by-12-feet panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt with local ties is on display as part of the exhibit. Attendee Joey Airdo was able to view this panel for the first time and said he was surprised by how large it was. Airdo is the brother of Kirk Airdo, who passed away in 1992 and is memorialized in the panel.
“He was very passionate, kind, did anything for anybody, sweet, didn’t have a bad bone in his body. He was very well loved. He was always smiling, always laughing, always playing around, joking,” Airdo said, remembering his brother. “The 31 years he was on this earth, he lived. He lived, he traveled a lot. He lived his life, he lived a very, very good life.”
Other pieces in the exhibit include Rita’s Quilt, a nationwide collaborative art project that was created by Downey; sewn blankets from the Welcome Blanket Project, which are created for new immigrants who come to the U.S.; and the Let Freedom Read Dress, created in 2023 by Rachel Jane Wittmann and Kirby Gene Anderson.
Also in the exhibit is a Freedom Quilt from Palatine Public Library, made to celebrate Black History Month. Historically, a freedom quilt was used to communicate plans and methods of escape for enslaved people. The quilt was created by Palatine Public Library staff members Selicia Applegate, Theresa Benson and Amy Lundquist after Palatine resident Tiffany Wilhoite donated the fabric in honor of her grandmother.
“When I found out they were going to make the Freedom Quilt, I was overjoyed,” Wilhoite said. “It was overwhelming to think that it was going to be made for some grand project, a community project like that.”
Downey, known online as Badass Cross Stitch to her more than 163,000 Instagram followers, was also in attendance and signed books for attendees.
“Art can be such an incredible mechanism for community organizing, community building,” Downey said. “There’s a million ways to make change; anybody can participate in change making in any way that they feel comfortable with. I want people to walk away feeling inspired and ready to take action.”
Community & Craftivism is on display in the library now through Wednesday, July 23. Learn more at ahml.info/pride.