THE WELCOME QUILT PROJECT
Part conceptual art, part textile craft,
part community organizing,
& all heart.
Changing the conversation
about immigration.
Since 2020, children and adults from all over the U.S. have drawn heartfelt messages of hope and encouragement on fabric squares to welcome people who have immigrated to the U.S. The squares are sewn into Welcome Quilts by volunteer quilters and then exhibited in a variety of locations—museums, community centers, churches, and even restaurants—where those who have recently arrived, as well as those who have lived in the U.S. for many years, can see them. This includes communities where they are being targeted. Together, the squares create a collection of unique and personal messages of support.
The need has never been greater or more timely. Instead of fearing or dehumanizing people because they have immigrated, this project seeks to create a sense of community, hope, and belonging. Utilizing the symbolic warmth of handmade quilts, it welcomes them as neighbors and friends. The Welcome Quilt Project also includes activities to do with children and adults that take the messages drawn on the quilts and brings them into their communities in meaningful ways.
You can make a difference. Anyone, anywhere can participate, adults and children alike. No art skills or quilting ability required. Check out the Get Involved tab for ways to connect with this growing movement.
“If I welcome someone, and someone else sees me welcome them, then maybe they will welcome people too!”
- A fourth grader, who was part of a school field trip to the Welcome Quilt Exhibit, at the Arizona History Museum during a discussion about welcoming people who have immigrated.
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Welcome Quilt Project is to counteract messages of hate and fear directed to people who are refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants, by displaying in public places messages of hope, welcome, and support.
OUR VISION
The vision of the Welcome Quilt Project is to help create a sense of community, support, and belonging for people who have immigrated to our country.
OUR VALUES
The Welcome Quilt Project leverages the soft power of creative activism through art as a means of welcoming and change.
THE MEANING OF THE FABRICS USED IN WELCOME QUILTS
COLORS
The turquoise fabric represents the same sky that covers all travelers both in the homes they left and in the new homes that they embrace.
The yellow fabric represents the sun that greets the morning providing power and inspiration to their journey by day.
The red fabric represents the flame of faith living in the hearts of the travelers that sustained them on their immigration journey.
PATTERNS
The twinkling stars fabric represents the light of hope guiding the traveler’s way by night.
The upper left-hand corner of the quilt has a square of butterflies, a symbol of migration. This square lets the viewer know that this is a Welcome Quilt for people immigrating to the United States.
The multi-colored fabric represents the beautiful colors of the natural world that have brought joy and love into the lives of travelers.
The white fabric squares are hand drawn by 11 different people and say, “Welcome. We are glad you are here.”
