Introduction to Fabric Portraits
On a hot August afternoon, a group of prison reform advocates and families of incarcerated people flocked to a Chicago gallery space for an unusual task: quilting. But this isn’t your average bedspread. Every square is a representation of someone who is — or used to be — locked up inside an Illinois prison.
The Quilting Event
Wednesday’s quilting event in East Garfield Park was the last of three sessions organized by the gallery Walls Turned Sideways and Restore Justice, a nonprofit group that advocates for people in prison and criminal justice reform. The goal is to create a collective quilt portrait representing some of the 29,300 people in Illinois prisons that can hang at events, or accompany activists to rallies in Springfield.
A group of volunteers, works on a quilt square at Walls Turned Sideways. The goal is to create a collective quilt portrait representing some of the 29,300 people in Illinois prisons that can hang at events, or accompany activists to rallies in Springfield.
The Significance of Quilting
“Quilting has such a long history of being a political tool of, like, history-keeping and narrative and storytelling,” said fiber artist Stevie Emrich, who was on hand to help at the event. Family members and friends of people incarcerated in Illinois showed up to contribute individual quilt panels, each depicting a loved one behind bars. But before they could all be stitched together, the amateur artists faced a difficult question: How do you encapsulate your child, your partner or your friend in a fabric square the size of your hand?
Creating the Quilt Squares
The individual tiles will be stitched together to create a quilt that family members and activists hope will humanize and commemorate loved ones who are locked up.
Personal Stories
“This is Darnell,” said Esther Clark, pointing to a photograph of her nephew that’s stuck on her square. “He’s very sweet, he’s very direct, he’s very interesting. He’s knowledgeable about stuff. He reads a lot.” Clark’s nephew is locked up at Western Illinois Correctional Center in downstate Mount Sterling. He was incarcerated when he was 15 years old. He’s now 43. Her quilt square features a collection of meaningful words that Darnell provided for the project: “Faith,” “Endurance,” and “Family Love.” Plus, an additional word chosen by Clark. “I put ‘FREEDOM.’ Because that’s what I’m looking for, freedom,” she said.
More Personal Stories
Nearby, Carmen Alequin put the finishing touches on a square for her son, AJ, who’s at a low-security prison in Kewanee His name is spelled out in musical notes, to represent his love of singing.
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