Stitched Stories: The Cloth of Jefferson Street - Community & Quilting
About this Event
For generations, Jefferson Street was the heart of Black Nashville — home to Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, and Tennessee State University, and the center of a thriving music and business district during its golden age from the 1930s through the 1960s. When Interstate 40 was built through the neighborhood in the late 1960s, it divided the community and displaced homes and businesses that had anchored it for decades. Today, rising costs and redevelopment are changing the area once again.
Stitched Stories: The Cloth of Jefferson Street is a community storytelling and quilting project that gathers those memories — the highs of Jefferson Street's golden age, the losses when the highway came through, and what the neighborhood looks like today — and turns them into contemporary art. Using repurposed clothing and fabric, we'll work together to stitch these stories into art quilts that preserve Jefferson Street's history for future generations.
Join us for one, two, or all three gathering sessions this October. Come share a memory, listen to a neighbor's story, and help piece together the fabric that will become our community's quilts. No sewing experience is needed — all materials, tools, and instruction are provided.
This gathering is for the whole Jefferson Street community: longtime residents and neighbors, business owners past and present, alumni and students of Fisk University and Meharry Medical College, church members and congregations, and anyone who lives in or around Jefferson Street. If you're not from the community, you're welcome too — come listen, and see the stories take shape.
These sessions are free, with refreshments provided. Bring a family member, bring a friend, and bring your story.
What to expect:
- Storytelling and conversation about Jefferson Street's past and present
- Hands-on quilting and fabric art-making — no experience necessary
- All sewing materials and tools provided
- Free refreshments
- A welcoming, multi-generational space for all ages
Optional: If you have a piece of clothing or fabric that carries a memory of Jefferson Street — a work shirt, a church dress, a graduation gown — feel free to bring it to contribute to the quilt.
Tickets: Free — General Admission, capped at 50 per session for room capacity. No refunds necessary.
Presented by Sandra Lee Design, in partnership with Goodwill of Middle Tennessee, with support from a Metro Arts Thrive Project Grant (fiscal sponsorship provided by The Forge).
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00
