Jacqueline Harris used to attend quilting parties “back in the day,” but it’s been at least 20 years since she sat around a table, surrounded by women, a pile of assorted fabric scraps in front of her.
“Probably 80 percent of those people have passed away,” Harris said of the former quilting parties. “But I have the quilt. So it’s the memory.”
Now, Harris is working on a new quilt, with a new group.
On a Monday in late October, she and four other women created fabric squares for a collaborative community quilt. The idea for the quilt came from Anika Luna Wild, the first artist-in-residence at North Hill CDC’s Exchange House.
“Quilts hold memories,” Wild said. “Quilts tell stories. It’s something you can pass down.”
Throughout the year-long residency, Wild will create art inspired by the exploration of memory, legacy and ancestry while fostering connections with community members through a variety of programming such as quilting, cooking, scrapbooking and storytelling.
At Wild’s events, guests have the freedom to create and share as they see fit, with a variety of art supplies at their disposal. Wild listens, documents and collects all of it.
Wild and her 4-year-old son moved into the Exchange House in April. In August, she began hosting monthly community events, each around a different theme.
The house, located at 760 Elma St., has lived many lives in its 110 years. It served as a private residence, an Airbnb property and a home for recently arrived immigrant families.
Wild’s career focuses on wellness and creativity
The idea for the artist residency came about organically, said David Swirsky, North Hill CDC’s executive director. He met with Wild in the spring to give her a tour of The Maker House. Located next door to the Exchange House, the property is a membership-based space that provides artists and small business owners access to equipment, workspace and educational opportunities.
During the visit, the conversation shifted to the Exchange House. At the time, the house was empty and in a transition period. Wild, who was in the process of looking for a home to rent in North Hill, expressed interest in the property. A quick tour later and Wild decided to rent the Exchange House.
Originally, the plan was for Wild to be a tenant, but Swirksy said it soon became clear she had much more to offer to the neighborhood. They decided to test out an artist residency program.
“The more we talked, the more it was evident that she was really bringing a lot of skills and really good experience in arts programming and just her work as a solo artist in general,” Swirsky said.
Besides being an artist, Wild also co-owns a landscaping business and owns a farm called Wild Soil Farm where she grows vegetables and medicinal herbs. While her interests and work are varied, Wild said they always come back to two things: wellness and creativity.
“This residency is about encouraging other people to think about how they embrace and share and hold on to and pass down memory and stories and legacy,” Wild said.
Monthly events focus on sharing, preserving memories
What that looks like varies month to month.
At September’s gathering, she cooked a meal her grandmother used to make: salmon patties, great northern beans with smoked turkey and collard greens, cornbread and jasmine rice. While they ate, the group shared memories around food. Some brought cookbooks or photos of their families cooking together. Wild provided recipe cards for those who wanted to contribute to the community collection she is gathering.
She’s creating a memory quilt that people will add squares to throughout the residency. She’s also making a scrapbook of family photos, recipes and mementos and working on a mini documentary about the residency. All of the items will be displayed in April at Wild’s final community event.
The mission of memory keeping is deeply personal for Wild. When she moved back to Akron in 2017 after years away, it was to take care of her grandmother, who had Alzheimer’s.
“One week she was driving around doing her thing, going shopping like she loved to do, and the next week she’s getting lost in Akron, calling my papa, like, ‘Come get me. I don’t know where I am,’” Wild recalled. “It just happens so quickly.”
Wild was close to her. She taught Wild how to cook and bake and was always there to solve any kitchen mishaps — like how to fix a greasy macaroni and cheese — until she wasn’t.
“We take for granted the people around us that they will always be there,” Wild said. “And then when it’s time to really get to know yourself, the people who can really tell you are gone.”
Quilting event brings creativity, new shared memories
During October’s event, the group sipped hibiscus iced tea and ate carrot cake while they designed their quilt squares. Jessica Skinner laid out a piece of bright yellow fabric with polka dots.
“I keep trying to come up with a plan, but that’s not how I roll,” Skinner said, adding that she’s much more intro “freestyling” when it comes to creating.
Next to Skinner sat Harris’ daughter Charlee. After some deliberation, she decided to add lightning bugs to her quilt square rather than a cloud.
Throughout the evening, the women shared stories — about their children and friends, the antics of their neighbors. They talked about food, recipes and art. Some of them knew each other beforehand. Others just met.
As they worked, they shared memories — and created new ones.
During her residency, Wild wants to help people understand the importance of preserving memories, in whatever way works for them.
“What will people know when I’m gone?” Wild asked rhetorically. “What will people know about what I really enjoyed and the experiences I had, and what can I pass down to the next generation of people in my family that really preserves my life, and the life of the people that came before me?”
