What is Welcome Blanket?

Welcome Blanket is a platform for engagement that transforms the abstract concept of immigration into a tangible crowd-sourced artistic action. We ask you to use your head, heart, hands, and histories to craft the country we wish to see.

Woven into the fabric of our country is a fundamental idea: our diversity, our multiple perspectives, and our personal stories make the United States great.

Handcraft makers (knit, sew, quilt, crochet, weave, felt, etc.) are invited to make Welcome Blankets. They include notecards with stories important to their families about immigration/migration/relocation to create symbolic and practical gifts of welcome for new refugees coming to the United States. These gifts are collected, catalogued, and displayed at art institutions and exhibitions. During these exhibits, we create spaces to amplify the message of welcome by hosting craft circles, performances, discussions, forums, and legal assistance for immigrants. After each show’s close, our 30+ partner refugee resettlement groups present these tangible gifts of welcome to our newest neighbors.