I learned just today of Wilson Arts’ Juneteenth activity this year, but it’s never too late to shine spotlights. I reached out to Executive Directive Cathy Brown Hardison to find out more.

“Quilt-making and basket-weaving are traditional cultural practices among American Descendants of Slaves, especially within the Gullah-Geechee communities that span from the Carolinas to northern Florida,” she said. “Ribbon-weaving serves as a nice callback to those traditions—it requires less dexterity and can involve participants of all ages and abilities. We also had a ton of fabric and ribbon on hand, and our set designer built the stand for us—so it really came together as a meaningful community project.”

The weaving wasn’t quite finished at Wilson’s Juneteenth Festival, so visitors to the Farmers & Artisans Market a few days later were given the opportunity to contribute. Since then, the weaving has been installed in the Wilson Arts gallery as a drop-in activity alongside information about Juneteenth. (Given the recent viral video showing workers at a Wilson business making snarky comments about the holiday, this educational outreach is welcome … and sorely needed!)

Kudos to Wilson Arts for offering a Juneteenth activity that wasn’t just a personal takeaway, but a collaborative piece that the whole community could contribute to.

Thank you to Wilson Arts for the images and video!