ROANOKE, Va. (November 5, 2009) – Area children are completing a massive quilt decorated with images of peace and tolerance as part of the Conflict Resolution Center’s Peace by Piece initiative.
Peace by Piece is an ongoing art project sponsored by the CRC to increase the community’s awareness of and interest in peace, tolerance and collaboration. The CRC is bringing together children from a variety of neighborhoods, communities and organizations so they can each create a quilt square to illustrate a story representing what peace means to them.
Reflecting the ties that bind individuals into healthy communities, each of the hundreds of squares will connect to one another and to a centerpiece containing an image of a dove, the universal symbol of peace.
“Once assembled, the quilt will embody the ideal that, when we work together, our diverse perspectives and world views are the pieces that strengthen the fabric of harmonious, sustainable communities,” said Alice Burlinson, chair of the CRC’s board of directors. “The quilt will serve to show that there is endless strength and opportunity within our communities because people see things differently.”
To complete the project, children were asked to convey their thoughts, ideas and dreams about what peace means to them on an 8-inch quilt square. With the help of Kim Weitkamp, a nationally recognized storyteller, the children were guided through the creative process using imagery techniques to write a story about peace.
Using these stories as a guide, the children created their quilt squares to reflect or illustrate the peaceful memory or vision described in their story. Once the quilt has been assembled, the quilt and each of the stories will be on display in the Taubman Museum of Art. The display will allow viewers to identify the corresponding stories and quilt squares.
Peace by Piece debuts at the CRC’s invitation-only annual meeting on Nov. 17 at the Taubman museum and will remain on display in the auditorium through January. On Dec. 3, children involved in creating the quilt will showcase their work to their families with an event at the museum.
To view photos of children creating the squares, please visit www.conflictresolutioncenter.us/peacebypiece.html.
ABOUT CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER
The non-profit Conflict Resolution Center offers innovative ways to resolve differences outside of the courtroom. The Center serves families, businesses, community organizations and governments throughout southwest Virginia through mediation, facilitation, training and restorative justice. To learn more, visit www.conflictresolutioncenter.us.
Submitted by Thomas Becher
