Support the opening reception of 45,000 Quilt and our monthly First Friday event!
We need volunteers to act as greeters for specific activities, informing patrons of the goings on. Here are the details of the event:
5–6pm Caged Dreams Film Screening—Caged Dreams details the stories of Johannes Favi, Beatriz Batres, and Felipe Diosdado, who were previously detained in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. The goal of the film is to paint a vivid picture of the emotional experience of immigration detention and the deep impacts on a person’s mental health and their loved ones. The 12-minute documentary short will screen on a loop. Free.
5:15–6pm Read Aloud for Children—Liz Davis, Children’s Librarian at Waterville Public Library, reads Areli Is a Dreamer by Areli Morales, a DACA recipient, and Hear My Voice compiled by Warren Benford for Project Amplify. Both books are beautifully written and illustrated and tell stories of immigration and detention from a child’s perspective.
6–7pm Community Conversations—Community members are invited to share their personal experiences with immigration and detention in a supportive, low-key atmosphere.
Other speakers, including Mary Dunn and Michelle Gaeghan, will talk about their experiences working with people and their own experiences at the southern U.S. border.
Book Sale—Don’t Look Away, compiled by Glen Ring and Melinda MacInnis, is an exhibition book that displays the beautiful art created and reflections by those who contributed to the quilt, as well as poetry by an asylum seeker and informational material about immigrant detention. Proceeds from book sales will be split among two Maine-based immigrant justice groups: Mano en Mano and Presente Maine. $25.
“Tell a Story with a Quilt”—A hands-on project where you can create a small quilt to tell your own story, located in the Creative Carts in the Ticonic lobby. Free.
Call to Action: Postcard Writing—Visitors to the exhibit will have an opportunity to write postcards to our representatives about immigration and detention reform. Postcards, postage, suggested language, and names and addresses of representatives are provided.
