The Peace House-sponsored Vision Quilt Project got new visibility June 2^nd in Ashland’s downtown plaza on National Gun Violence Awareness Day. Sixty local participants displayed quilt squares commemorating those who have lost their lives or been affected by gun attacks. Rogue Valley Peace Choir and speakers from the community were present. Participants wore orange, to underscore the sense that we are all potential targets with the current lack of gun control in our communities.

Vision Quilt panels made by people ages 7-95 were displayed and participants were invited to add to the national Vision Quilt movement.

Together We Can

Since August 2015 Vision Quilt panels have been made by gun owners and non-gun owners ages 7-95. Oregon panel makers come from Roseburg, Grant’s Pass, Jacksonville, White City, Medford, Phoenix, Talent and Ashland including youth from the Maslow Project, Life Art, Ashland High School Black Student Union, Ashland Middle School, Rogue Valley Community College and Southern Oregon University. Our mayor and his wife, John and Jane Stromberg have made a panel. In addition, people from all walks of life in Arizona, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Washington have made panels.

In the last two weeks, Cathy Deforest reports:

• We made panels with incarcerated youth from Oakland and Richmond, California through the Alameda County Probation Department.
• Met with parishioners from Glide Memorial Church in SF. They made panels that will be used in Silent Protests out side of Gun Shows at the Cow Palace this summer and fall.
• Met with African American Quilt Guild of Oakland and invited individuals to make panels for the Vision Quilt.

Whenever more than 12 panels are made from one community, the panels remain in that community to be exhibited in community centers, libraries, schools, colleges and places of worship.

PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE!

Future plans include:

• Students from Ashland Middle School who will take 2O Vision Quilt panels to Washington, DC.
• 50 youth and 20 families in Chicago, this summer, will be making panels through the Veterans Art Museum and the Chicago Public Library

Much more is underway within this exciting new project. If you are excited about getting involved, please contact Cathy Deforest through:

The Vision Quilt
PO Box 3192
Ashland, OR 97520

visionquilt@gmail.com
www.visionquilt.org
www.facebook.com/visionquilt

http://ktvl.com/news/local/vision-quilt-standing-up-against-gun-violence

Coverage of the Vison Quilt Project can be found through the following links:

160119993 -KTVL TV Channel 10: http://ktvl.com/news/local/vision-quilt-standing-up-against-gun-violence
-KOBI TV CHANNEL 5: https://kobi5.com/features/five-on-5/kathy- deforest-founder-visionquilt-19660
-JPR: http://ijpr.org/post/reducing-gun-violence-through-quilting#stream/0

-Channel 10 TV in San Francisco -Ashland Gallery Guide