The Healing Quilts, Quilt 2, Copyright Elaine Luther 2025.

Yes, we are still accepting audio!

I’m excited to tell you about my newest artwork. I’ve been hard at work in the studio sewing up giant quilts, made from bits and pieces of other quilts, that you’ll be able to walk into, and be surrounded by!

Here’s the big idea, and how you can be a part of it!

The Healing Quilts – the Concept

Here’s the concept for this artwork, which will be in my solo show in August 2025, and maybe also before then at some point.

Here’s what it will look like and sound like:

Two quilts are suspended from the ceiling in a way that allows you to walk into them. (A hidden circle made of strong tubing supports each quilt.)

Each quilt’s title is on the quilt itself, where you see it as you walk in. One says, “Things I Need to Say to You,” the other says, “Things I Need You to Say to Me.” When you walk in, the audio begins.

Phrases, collected from the public, say things such as, “I love you,” “I’m sorry,” and whatever people submit, but the idea is that it’s positive and rebuilding.

The quilts are patchwork quilts, found, cut up, dyed and reassembled, and in some places, patched, with orphaned quilt blocks or bits of fabric – symbolizing that our relationships can heal, just like we can mend quilts and clothing.

The audio is where you come in!

What is something you need to say to someone important to you?
What is something you need to hear, from someone who is important to you?
Even if you know you’ll never hear it. Record it for yourself. Say what you wish they would say.

How to Contribute Audio

Use the orange button below to make your recording right here in your browser!

Note that walking into the walk-in quilt is meant to be a pleasant, positive experience. I mean, it might make you cry, but in a good way.

Please keep it family friendly and no curse words. If you must curse, if it’s important to the phrase, you may, and we may/will bleep it. No hate speech, of course, and nothing angry.

This is not “snappy comebacks I thought of ten minutes later that I wish I’d said,” this is more like, that thing a parent never said, and then they died.

Or that friendship that was on the line, and one of us said the wrong thing, or didn’t say anything, and if we could go back, we’d so it differently. Now’s your chance.

If you can, find a quiet moment alone, picture that person, and let all that emotion be in your voice.

Your voice memo should be short. Just a sentence or two, no back story. The idea is that others can imagine this being said to them, if that’s what they need to hear. The fewer details, the easier it is to imagine that it’s for you.

Submissions are/can be anonymous. All of the submissions will be edited into a soundscape by our talented audio engineer.

Leaving a recording constitutes your permission to use your recording in this artwork.  Thank you for being a part of it!