25 Million Stitches
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25 Million Stitches Website
25 MILLION STITCHES: One Stitch for Each Refugee
25,000,000
This is the number of people who the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) estimates have been forced to leave their homeland and communities due to genocide, political turmoil, or natural disasters. In my own struggle to comprehend the magnitude of this number, I felt I needed a tangible representation. I began stitching, making one stitch for each displaced person. After days of working by hand and then by machine, I realized that no person could complete this work alone; so, I reached out to other artists in my circle. But as scores of local artists struggled to contain this massive undertaking, what started as a personal project ballooned into a global crowdsourced effort.
(Panel by Jessica L. from Maryland)
People from all over the world, young and old, have sent in muslin panels stitched by hand to express their caring and support for the world’s refugees. Currently we stand at 15 million stitches worth of panels counted, received , or spoken for, 4 million of which are from the last month alone. With our momentum only building, we are hopeful that we can collect as close to 25 million as possible by the end of April in time for our first exhibition in June.
While the outpouring of hard work, love, and support we have already received is astounding, we are still finding ourselves overwhelmed by the scale of this undertaking. Not only has the work itself surpassed our means, so too has the cost involved in organizing it. While panels and volunteers continue to roll in, we find ourselves needing to ask for your help as well.
Donations will be used to:
· Source and distribute project materials to volunteers to maximize participation
· Exhibit construction as seen in the models: assemble and install the exhibit
· Bring this project and its message to new venues and eyes around the world
We are so grateful for any help you can give to help us convey the enormity of the crisis. We promise to keep all donors updated on our progress on this project and its subsequent installations and exhibitions.
Our first installation of everyone’s embroidered panels will open on June 5, 2020 at Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento, in time to coincide with the 20th World Refugee Day, June 20th, 2020. These individually hand-stitched panels will be sewn together in long vertical flags, hung from the ceiling to create a maze, with the aim of making an unforgettable impact on viewers as they are immersed in millions of stitches, each representing a refugee in need of sanctuary.
(Concept sketch by Joe Weber, Los Angeles, CA)
If you want more information about the project or want to stitch a panel, please visit our website.
Also please check out our Instagram @25millionstitches and our Facebook page.
25 MILLION STITCHES: One Stitch for Each Refugee
25,000,000
This is the number of people who the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) estimates have been forced to leave their homeland and communities due to genocide, political turmoil, or natural disasters. In my own struggle to comprehend the magnitude of this number, I felt I needed a tangible representation. I began stitching, making one stitch for each displaced person. After days of working by hand and then by machine, I realized that no person could complete this work alone; so, I reached out to other artists in my circle. But as scores of local artists struggled to contain this massive undertaking, what started as a personal project ballooned into a global crowdsourced effort.
(Panel by Jessica L. from Maryland)
People from all over the world, young and old, have sent in muslin panels stitched by hand to express their caring and support for the world’s refugees. Currently we stand at 15 million stitches worth of panels counted, received , or spoken for, 4 million of which are from the last month alone. With our momentum only building, we are hopeful that we can collect as close to 25 million as possible by the end of April in time for our first exhibition in June.
While the outpouring of hard work, love, and support we have already received is astounding, we are still finding ourselves overwhelmed by the scale of this undertaking. Not only has the work itself surpassed our means, so too has the cost involved in organizing it. While panels and volunteers continue to roll in, we find ourselves needing to ask for your help as well.
Donations will be used to:
· Source and distribute project materials to volunteers to maximize participation
· Exhibit construction as seen in the models: assemble and install the exhibit
· Bring this project and its message to new venues and eyes around the world
We are so grateful for any help you can give to help us convey the enormity of the crisis. We promise to keep all donors updated on our progress on this project and its subsequent installations and exhibitions.
Our first installation of everyone’s embroidered panels will open on June 5, 2020 at Verge Center for the Arts in Sacramento, in time to coincide with the 20th World Refugee Day, June 20th, 2020. These individually hand-stitched panels will be sewn together in long vertical flags, hung from the ceiling to create a maze, with the aim of making an unforgettable impact on viewers as they are immersed in millions of stitches, each representing a refugee in need of sanctuary.
(Concept sketch by Joe Weber, Los Angeles, CA)If you want more information about the project or want to stitch a panel, please visit our website.
Also please check out our Instagram @25millionstitches and our Facebook page.
Organizer
Jennifer Kim Sohn
Organizer
Sacramento, CA