Quilts in the Service of Humanity

Philadelphia Mennonite High School -- www.pmhsonline.org (24th and Poplar, Fairmount section) is planning a quilt extravaganza from March 27 - 29, 2003. Quilts from two traditions, African American and Amish Mennonite, will be on display in the faith-based high school Thursday evening through Saturday morning. Principal Barbara Moses says the students’ studies in the months leading up to the Exhibit/Auction will include the gathering of quilts and stories from their grandparents and other seniors in the Philadelphia community.

Stories will focus on quilts that have been used in the service of humanity here and around the world. Not only have quilts met the every day needs of the family and kept an artistic culture alive; historically they provided a secret code to lead slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. In addition, today Mennonites in Canada and the US make hundreds of hand-stitched quilts and sell them at auction sales to raise millions of dollars to alleviate poverty and develop self-sufficiency around the world.

The story of “Quilts and the Underground Railroad” will be ably told and demonstrated by Dr. Raymond Dobard, Howard University’s Professor of Art History who co-authored he book, “Hidden in Plain View.” He will be joined on the same evening by another Quilt expert, Renske Helmuth, winner of the Best Guild Quilt Award in 2002 in Ontario, Canada. Helmuth’s quilt trunk story/demonstration will include the extraordinary story of the award-winning quilt called “Kaleidoscope of Nations.” In this Helmuth creation, fabrics collected from 40 different countries were fashioned into 40 dolls, appliquéd in a circle around a central motif by 40 members of the Waterloo County Quilters Guild. Members of the Listowel Mennonite Church and a Listowel Quilters group did the final hand stitching after all had been pieced together–a truly remarkable feat involving more than 70 people.

A multicultural “Food Fest” will follow on Saturday after the twenty to thirty hand stitched quilts made in Philadelphia, Lancaster, Souderton and western Pennsylvania are sold at auction. Ethnic foods from the diverse Mennonite community will include African American, German Mennonite and Latino dishes. Also for sale will be a cornucopia of theme baskets, reflecting again the diverse cultural heritages of these churches and the school itself. A Quilt Workshop, Craft Room and Book Fair will round out the offerings that climax on Saturday. Those interested in purchasing one of the hand stitched, one-of-a-kind quilts will want to look at them before Saturday to make their selection; the auction itself begins at 10 AM, Saturday. All proceeds will benefit Philadelphia Mennonite High School, which depends heavily on scholarship funds for deserving students.

To learn more about “Quilts in the Life and Service of Humanity,” call PMHS at 215-769-5363, email to office@pmhsonline.org or fax a message to 215-765-4063. Check out our high school web site at www.pmhsonline.org. Please use the same addresses if you have a quilt to donate, or a favorite heirloom you simply wish to exhibit. If you have a story to tell, or a grandmother quilt in your closet that could be added to the Students Stories, please call the school and ask for Barbara Moses or Sherri Cofer.