RACINE — The hours the Racine community spent sewing together donated fabric are now on display as a large-scale textile installation draped across the Racine Art Museum.
Artist Amanda Browder led the project, titled Zig and Zag, which brought together Racine area residents to sew massive panels of fabric before the installation went up.
"This is going to choke me up, but every project I say 'we.' It's never an 'I," Browder said. "It's all the people that participated, donated fabric, donated time, even the installers."
Volunteer Maggie Heller spent hours sewing together strips of donated fabric, attending multiple community sewing events earlier this summer, and she was still sewing during installation week, helping Browder finalize the panels.
"I can't imagine having not partaken in this adventure. This is just, I guess, what I was meant to do this month," Heller said as she watched the fabric being woven into the building's exterior Wednesday.
Watch Lauren Sklba's full report in the video player below:
Heller said the project has brought the community together at every stage.
"Nothing could've pulled people in more than donating the fabric, sewing the fabric, and now putting it up and being able to come down here and see it as an art piece," Heller said.
The installation involves weaving the community-made textile panels through the museum's exterior itself — something Browder said she has never done before, as her installations typically feature wrapped buildings.
"It's about making contemporary art, really, every day. It's something we need. Honestly, we do. But a lot of times, people don't know that," Browder said.
Fellow volunteer Celia Schulz described her role in bringing the panels together.
"I pinned, pinned, pinned. It was so fun to put the fabric together," Schulz said.
Schulz stopped by the building Wednesday to view the installation in progress.
"Just the yards and yards of material stretched out, and now, it's hanging on the building," Schulz said as she took in the work.
Heller had an emotional reaction watching the installation take shape.
"It's stunning. I burst out crying just a minute ago watching this," Heller said.
She said that while many people are already invested in the project, having it on display will only further the community's involvement.
"I'm watching people come by, stop, look, or pull up and see us sitting here, and so they're looking up at the museum in ways that they never have looked at it before," Heller said.
While the installation is expected to remain on display for about two months, Browder hopes it sparks a lasting conversation.
"What I really hope is when it comes down, people start asking for more, and say, 'Wait, how do I get involved?" Browder said.
The installation of Zig and Zag comes as the Racine Art Museum recently announced admission to the museum will be free moving forward. The piece is also part of the museum's upcoming 10-day festival, In/Between, kicking off Sept. 18.
This story was reported onair by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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