Welcome Blanket
on display Dec. 1, 2022 - Feb. 26, 2023
Welcome Blanket is a new American tradition of welcome.
Welcome Blanket is a nation-wide project created in 2017 by Jayna Zweiman, co-creator and co-founder of the Pussyhat Project. Welcome Blanket was initially created in response to the proposed 2000-mile border wall between Mexico and the United States. Welcome Blanket is a tangible way to engage the community in welcoming our newest Refugee population to America.
As a symbol of welcome, the public is invited to make blankets that will be displayed and then gifted to our newest neighbors! Since the project inception, more than 6,500 blankets from around the world have been knitted, sewn, quilted, crocheted, woven, felted and donated. Welcome Blanket exhibitions have been hosted at the Helms Design Center, Culver City, CA; Museum of Design, Atlanta, GA; Smart Museum of Art, Chicago, IL; Fuller Craft Museum, Brockton, MA.
UPDATE:
Over 80 blankets along with welcoming messages were collected and displayed at the Mill Museum. On March 14th, the blankets will distributed to local new Americans in collaboration with AALV, a social service agency in Burlington, Vermont that serves new Americans from all parts of the world. Thank you to all the makers! We will be sharing an online database of all the blankets that were contributed later in March!
Would you like to contribute a story about your family immigration or a welcoming message?
Click HERE to record and contribute a Welcoming video message.
The Welcome Blanket exhibit at the Mill Museum has ended.
You are still welcome to mail your finished blanket and note to the current Welcome Blanket host. Find info at the national Welcome Blanket website.
