Embroidering for Peace and Memory

The annual project, Embroidering for Peace and Memory, took place last semester in Peace Plaza and Ogier Gardens on UNF campus. The event was led by Constanza Lopez, an associate professor of Spanish, in an effort to encourage activism through art making. The movement is used to promote diversity, intersectionality, and human rights on campus. Students gather during the week to use their creativity while embroidering a design on a piece of fabric and spreading a message of peace to the campus.

The artwork is then hung throughout Peace Plaza and Ogier Gardens for fellow students, faculty, and staff to enjoy. Since 2012, over 600 pieces of embroidery have been produced by students, faculty, staff, and community members. The project has been supported by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Digital Humanities Institute, the Hicks Honors College, and the Office of Interdisciplinary Programs. 

The digital archive was created in 2017 by UNF student and project intern at the time, Rebecca Weiner.  The archive contains photographs of the embroidery, the personal stories behind the pieces, and metadata that makes the materials searchable and sortable by predefined categories. Anna Breede is the current project student intern, with support through the student internship program operated by the UNF Digital Humanities Institute.

You can follow the Embroidering for Peace and Memory journey on their Instagram @unfembroideringfor and visit the digital archive at https://embroidery.unfdhi.org.