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Downtown Green Bay unveils 'We the People' community quilt; vinyl mural to be installed downtown
Summary
Downtown Green Bay presented "We the People," a community-made quilt marking 250 years of the nation, with the lead artist calling it a "living document" of many voices. Organizers said the quilt will be housed at City Hall and a vinyl mural replica will be installed on the Black Saddle Bar building within about two weeks.
Downtown Green Bay, Inc. presented "We the People," a community quilt created for the nation's 250th anniversary, at a Fourth of July event where organizers encouraged attendees to view the quilt and learn the stories behind individual blocks.
"We the People, a community quilt for 250 years," said Jenny Vanon Langenberg, with Downtown Green Bay, Inc., as she introduced the work and thanked community partners for hosting workshops and collecting quilt blocks. She urged attendees to look closely at the individual squares and then step back to see the whole piece.
Laura Schly, the project's lead artist, described the quilt as "a living document, an artwork made by many hands, many voices, and many perspectives," saying the blocks "contain different stories, perspectives, and experiences" and that bringing them together creates "something larger and strong enough to hold history and meaning." Schly thanked collaborators and volunteers who helped assemble the quilt.
Organizers listed the project's funding and support: "This project is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board and funds from the state of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts," and they also thanked the city of Green Bay for a tourism grant. Vanon Langenberg said the finished quilt will have a home at City Hall.
She announced that within the next two weeks a vinyl replica mural of the quilt will be installed on the side of the Black Saddle Bar building, at the corner of Washington Street and Cherry Street, and that a QR code is available to link viewers to the stories behind each square. The quilt was left under the event tent for attendees to examine during the program.
The presentation highlighted local partners that helped run workshops and collect contributions, including the NWTC Artisan Center, the ADRC's Grounded Cafe, and the Brown County Library. Organizers did not disclose grant or funding amounts.
The program closed with organizers thanking contributors and inviting the public to view the quilt and the upcoming mural installation.
