On a hot August afternoon, a group of prison reform advocates and families of incarcerated people flocked to a Chicago gallery space for an unusual task: quilting.
But this isn’t your average bedspread. Every square is a representation of someone who is — or used to be — locked up inside an Illinois prison.
Wednesday’s quilting event in East Garfield Park was the last of three sessions organized by the gallery Walls Turned Sideways and Restore Justice, a nonprofit group that advocates for people in prison and criminal justice reform. The goal is to create a collective quilt portrait representing some of the 29,300 people in Illinois prisons that can hang at events, or accompany activists to rallies in Springfield.
“Quilting has such a long history of being a political tool of, like, history-keeping and narrative and storytelling,” said fiber artist Stevie Emrich, who was on hand to help at the event.
Family members and friends of people incarcerated in Illinois showed up to contribute individual quilt panels, each depicting a loved one behind bars. But before they could all be stitched together, the amateur artists faced a difficult question: How do you encapsulate your child, your partner or your friend in a fabric square the size of your hand?
“This is Darnell,” said Esther Clark, pointing to a photograph of her nephew that’s stuck on her square. “He’s very sweet, he’s very direct, he’s very interesting. He’s knowledgeable about stuff. He reads a lot.”
Clark’s nephew is locked up at Western Illinois Correctional Center in downstate Mount Sterling. He was incarcerated when he was 15 years old. He’s now 43.
Her quilt square features a collection of meaningful words that Darnell provided for the project: “Faith,” “Endurance,” and “Family Love.” Plus, an additional word chosen by Clark.
“I put ‘FREEDOM.’ Because that’s what I’m looking for, freedom,” she said.
Nearby, Carmen Alequin put the finishing touches on a square for her son, AJ, who’s at a low-security prison in Kewanee His name is spelled out in musical notes, to represent his love of singing.
“I’m sorry, I’m getting emotional,” said Alequin, wiping away tears as she stood over her son’s portrait. “AJ was loved, and is still loved, by many, many.”
Restore Justice Outreach Director Julie Anderson helped organize the event, and she runs a support group for people who have family members in prison.
“One of the reasons we’re doing it is because creating this together, I believe, builds community, and we are a community out here of loved ones,” Anderson said. “And also, just to kind of show other people … that those people inside have people outside who love them and care about them.”
That’s the message James Swansey wants to convey with his quilt square. He’s the associate policy director at Restore Justice and was formerly incarcerated.
Swansey designed a square for his friend Judah, who is still locked up on the other end of the state. In the center, he pasted a cutout of a bright orange basketball — to represent the game they played behind bars.
“Judah is somebody that is definitely loved,” Swansey said. “He has a lot of support, and he’s definitely going to be somebody that’s going to do great things once he’s given a second chance.”
Lauren is WBEZ’s audio engagement producer and the executive producer of Prisoncast!, a radio show made with and for incarcerated Illinoisans and their loved ones.