A REMARKABLE patchwork rainbow quilt made as part of a post lockdown project by artist Jessica Voke is currently on display – but hurry or you’ll miss it!
It Takes a Village, is hanging from the banister of the grand gallery space. The nine metre square memory quilt is on display at Falmouth Art Gallery’s community gallery until May 20.
The exhibition is the culmination of the Falmouth Town Council-funded project led by artist Jessica Voke, who invited the community to help slow stitch a patchwork rainbow quilt.
The collaborative textile project took place across the course of five days in January at The Poly, inviting the entire community to sit and work side by side to heal the trauma of the many months of obligatory isolation experienced during the national lockdowns with a focus on lockdown mums.
This is the first time the finished quilt has been displayed and the exhibition also features photography, poems and other collaborative artworks created during the event.
During the five day community event over 200 ‘Falmouthians’ popped in and worked side by side to contribute stitching to this textile collage, conceived by directing artist Jessica Voke as an antidote to enforced social isolation.
The colourful quilt resembles a 'covid rainbow' and contains narrative elements telling the story of local women who suffered traumatic experiences as a result of becoming first time mums during periods of national lockdown; their haunting words can be seen embroidered into the fabric.
Visitors can also take a comfortable seat in the gallery's listening corner, which showcases an audio installation containing the stories of 20 local lockdown mums, told in their own words.
Artist Jessica Voke explains, "Not everybody had a rough time during lockdown, but listening to the lived experiences of those who did can bring us closer together.
“It's possible that your next door neighbour or even a family member was badly suffering and you just weren't aware of the details; this exhibition seeks to correct that knowledge gap as we move on from the pandemic as a more connected community." This meaningful project was funded by Falmouth Town Council.
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