• Respect • Citizenship • Compromise • Country over party and corporate influence • Courage • Candor • Compassion • Creativity
The ultimate success of this project depends upon makers from across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and all American territories to join together to use their time and talents to make this colossal visual gesture of friendly protest to every member
of the 117th US Congress.
of the 117th US Congress.
Squares using all kinds of techniques are being created by makers from across the US
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Makers from across all 50 United States, Puerto Rico, DC and all American territories are invited to make square textile units (8” x 8” in size) using any of the following techniques: knit, crochet, weave, sewn/pieced, quilted, embroidered, appliqué, felting, screen printed fabric - or combinations of techniques. The request is that all squares are made using equal parts of red and blue, with makers free to combine prints and colors, textures, stitching and yarns as long as they make a square, that, with the equal combination of red and blue, create an overall presentation of violet in the final display as described below. During the act of making, participants will be compelled to contemplate other opinions symbolized by the red or blue components of their squares. Participants will commit to making a certain number of squares of their choosing, then send their finished work back to the artist by August 1, 2021 to send to Congress. To be included with their square, each participant will be given a special tag on which to provide their name, city/state/zip code, and optionally, a personal message of unity. Your squares will then be displayed in an exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum in the Spring of 2021 – and once that is over, each of the 535 members of the 117th Congress will be sent 50 squares (yes, that's a total of 26,750 squares!) – all made by you! Once you volunteer, check back often to monitor the PROGRESS and see your contribution represented. |
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All squares submitted by February 1, 2021 are being exhibited at Phoenix Art Museum in March - September, 2021. One hundred and sixteen (116) stacks of hand-made squares were configured to form the letters "U" & "S" - spelling US - the familiar acronym for the United States, but also an overwhelming representation of us, the citizen makers across all 50 states. In addition, at least one square from each maker submitting by February 1, are represented on two walls, ceiling to floor. And finally, all the "Squares-of-the-Week" for the first 40 weeks of the project are displayed along with the Instagram message originally posted. Throughout the room, red and blue blend together to create the overall impression of the color violet, but yet, within the overall impression, the red and blue can be seen with close examination. For the squares on the wall, the tags that each maker attached are visible so that visitors can get a glimpse of the breadth of makers from all across the US. 
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Click on this photo for a gallery of images from the exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum - March 10 - September 5, 2021.
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Once the exhibition of your hand-made squares is over, the artist and her team will package 50 squares for each and every US Representative and Senator! Your squares will carry your name/state tag and will also be accompanied by this letter and a photo of the actual installation that is shown above in the artist's rendering. Then they'll be sent off to the new 117th Congress of the United States in late 2021. (We know that the text of this letter will change with all that has happened in our country during the course of this project. But this gives a sense of our intentions.) |
Volunteer now and tell others about this project!
The success of this friendly protest depends on spreading the word to involve makers from all 50 states.
The goal is to make 50 squares for each Senator and each Representative in the 117th Congress – that equals 26,750 squares!
So get your family, friends, your schools, church and community groups involved - where you live and in states where you know other makers.
THE DEADLINE FOR FINISHED SQUARES IS:
AUGUST 1, 2021 to send to Congress.
The success of this friendly protest depends on spreading the word to involve makers from all 50 states.
The goal is to make 50 squares for each Senator and each Representative in the 117th Congress – that equals 26,750 squares!
So get your family, friends, your schools, church and community groups involved - where you live and in states where you know other makers.
THE DEADLINE FOR FINISHED SQUARES IS:
AUGUST 1, 2021 to send to Congress.
We are sending your squares via the US Postal Service, and with 535 boxes, the cost is pretty extraordinary.
Please consider a small donation the Violet Protest to help in reaching this goal - it's quick and easy.