A couple of walking partners, an unrelated quilting exhibition and a casual conversation at the hairdressers’. All the people involved in of those seemingly random situations had one thing in common: their interest to incorporate the arts as a form of storytelling. This led to the “providential birth” of Common Threads/Hilos en Común, as director Alicia Horst describes it.
After connecting, the group began to meet once a week in order to start sewing and quilting together. Today it’s been over a year and this dedicated group of artists meets every Monday morning to not only work on their quilting projects, but also to share and listen to each other’s stories, as well as cultivate resiliency through this art form.
Norys, a club member, says that she’s inspired by the women and she feels as though they are her second family. “I feel like I be myself here” Nory explains. Justina, one of the members that joined later, says that what she enjoys the most about the club is laughing and sharing funny stories. Irma, another member, says she simply enjoys the connection and the sharing.
Threading strings and lives, this dynamic group is preparing their third exhibition which will take place at the A Bowl of Good restaurant (Port Republic Road) on Saturday, June 28 from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. We invite everyone who is interested to visit this exhibition of quilts that portray stories of hope and resilience.