by Stacey Krim
UNCG Special Collections & University Archives recently accepted a donation of quilts from the Monument Quilt project. The Monument Quilt, a project of Baltimore based FORCE: Upsetting Rape Culture, is a collection of over 3,000 stories by survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence and our allies, written, painted, and stitched onto red fabric.
FORCE was co-founded by Hannah Brancato and Rebecca Nagle. Shanti Flagg and Mora Fernández are the collective members working on archiving the Monument Quilt, with support from Brancato. In 2019, a total of 750 quilts made up the project, and were displayed on the National Mall, spelling out “You Are Not Alone” and “No Estas Solx.” SCUA is one of several cultural institutions serving as a repository, specifically for the quilt blocks created at UNCG and in Greensboro.
Given the varieties of materials used for the creation of each quilt block, SCUA staff discussed several measures for preservation of each piece, ultimately choosing to fold the quilts so as not to put tension on the fabric. Each quilt block measured 8 foot by 8 foot, making folding and storing the quilt blocks a team project. These quilt blocks will be used for instructional sessions on campus.
A special app was created by FORCE to be able to view the individual quilt block and how they were displayed at the National Mall. This app can be viewed online here.
