The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County has opened “Forced To Flee,” a Studio Art Quilt Associates exhibition, at the Hjemkomst Center. The exhibition will remain on display in HCSCC’s newly renovated 3rd Floor Gallery until Sunday, November 7, 2021.
Throughout history, people have been forced to flee from their homes for their own safety or survival due to war, natural disasters, social and political oppression, and other human rights violations. Their journeys are marked by trauma, and their host countries, facing an influx of migrants, endure significant impacts to their social, economic, and political structures.
“Forced To Flee” consists of 36 quilts created by textile and fiber artists from around the world who have used the medium to highlight and illustrate the challenges of this global refugee crisis, which now includes more than 82 million forcibly displaced individuals, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency’s most recent numbers.
The exhibition was curated by art historian Dr. Susan Beryl Marks, who writes that exhibition audiences “will surely come away with images etched into their memories, and with more awareness of the tragic plight of large sections of humanity.”
“Forced to Flee” is funded by Joe and Muriel Richardson, The FM Area Foundation, Quilters Guild of North Dakota, and The Alex Stern Family Foundation.
“Forced to Flee” is funded by The Arts Partnership, with support from the Cities of Fargo, Moorhead and West Fargo and from Sanford Health.
“Forced To Flee” is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and Lake Region Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage fund.
For more information about the exhibition or accommodations and accessibility, please visit HCSCC’s website at www.hcscconline.org or contact HCSCC Communications Manager Davin Wait at (218) 299-5511, extension 6733, or communications@hcsmuseum.org.