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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Quilt project's vision: An America with fewer gun deaths ... Ashland New Plays Festival seeks out most interesting story telling ... 'It's about living' ... Quilt project's vision: An America with fewer gun deaths ... Ashland New Plays Festival seeks out most interesting story telling ... 'It's about living' ... GUN VIOLENCE Quilt project's vision: An America with fewer gun deaths By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Jan. 10, 2016 @ 2:00 am By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Jan. 10, 2016 @ 2:00 am Martin Luther King Jr. Day --> Martin Luther King Jr. Day Ashland's 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashlan... » Read more X Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day Ashland's 27th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration runs from noon to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, at the Historic Ashland Armory, 208 Oak St., Ashland. Coming Attractions Theatres will donate a simulcast live stream of the usually standing room only event at the Varsity Theatre. The live stream will also be available online at http://howlround.tv during the event. There's no admission charge, but donations are welcome. Everyone is encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the ACCESS Food Bank. Historian D.L. Richardson will emcee. The keynote will be delivered by Oregon Shakespeare Festival's ensemble-in-residence, UNIVERSES, founded in New York in 1995 and known for blending theater with poetry, jazz, hip-hop, politics, blues and bolero rhythms. Speakers from Vision Quilt will share about its work. The Southern Oregon University Black Student Union will lead a march from the armory to the Ashland Plaza after the event. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have  A Dream" speech will be played in its entirety, followed by songs from the Peace Choir. What do you think? What’s your take on this story? Send your letter to the editor to [email protected] . » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> You might not immediately associate quilts and gun violence, but when you sit across from Cathey DeForest, an Ashland activist and artist who created the “Vision Quilt” it becomes obvious: “It’s about comfort, nurturing, home. People are offering gifts to each other,” she tells me in a sunny upstairs room at “Sew Creative” on East Main Street in Ashland. The “Vision Quilt” is a lesson in contrast and an offer of warmth to soothe the psyche of all Americans wounded by gun violence whether directly or indirectly. It is a collection of individual panels urging an end to gun deaths and created by individuals from around the nation. DeForest describes wanting to change the tone of the conversation from fear and judgment to a positive expression of a willingness to solve the tragedy of more than 30,000 gun deaths in the U.S. annually (33,636 in 2013), according to the latest numbers available from the Centers for Disease Control and the president who this past week tightened regulations on background checks by executive order. The “Vision Quilt” came to DeForest as an inspiration this past September. “I woke up one morning thinking about the Aids Quilt," she recalls. "Something needed to be done in this country. The Aids Quilt moved us from fear to connection.” Hoping that same thing can happen around gun violence, DeForest began the grassroots “Vision Quilt.” She urges anyone, artist or not, to create a panel of any size and shape to contribute to the quilt. It’s not so much about the art but the statement, she says: “It’s a portable message. We made them small so they can be worn, carried or strung together in different ways.” As a former teacher, DeForest says she became more and more troubled by the incidents of gun violence and deaths in the United States. She decided she could no longer tolerate doing nothing. Surrounded by art panels commemorating those who have died in mass shootings, including one made of baby blankets for the 20 children killed in December 2014 at Sandy Hook. She says, tears welling, “I’m a mom. I can’t imagine losing a child or loved one to gun violence.” Today, uplifted by the success of her project, DeForest is energized and ready to work. She says she will come to schools, churches or any organization that would like to learn more about contributing to the “Vision Quilt.” “This is to create dialogue," she says. "Dialogue creates change.” Since her project began four months ago, she has already compiled 70 different panels created by people from around the country. Its first public display will be at the Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Monday, Jan. 18, at Historic Ashland Armory. DeForest says this is just the beginning. “It will become a major national movement shown in monuments and houses of worship around the country,” she predicts. She pictures the quilts displayed at the Washington Monument one day. Her vision seems plausible, and possibly unstoppable. DeForest receives new panels weekly and is a sought-after speaker about the quilt project. When interviewed for this article, she had already done another interview that morning and a person wanting to know more about the “Vision Quilt” wandered into the room to see the panels and ask how she too could become involved. DeForest calls it “The People’s Quilt” for good reason. “We’re already seeing it happen. We have gun owners, we have people as old as 92 and our youngest panel creator is 4.” Working on stitching compassion together one thread at a time, the “Vision Quilt” has moved from a handful of people a few months ago to a national movement. DeForest has already partnered with the nonprofit group Peace House in Ashland as a fiscal sponsor, so donations are tax deductible, and is in discussions with the national activist group against gun deaths, “Moms Demand Action.” DeForest pictures a day when the group marches carrying the panels created for the “Vision Quilt.” On the website the mission is described this way: “The Vision Quilt will create a national network of supporters cultivating compassionate, nonviolent change through the making and exhibiting of quilt panels created by thousands of people across the country.” If you would like to be one of those people, you can go online and learn more about creating a panel and volunteering at www.visionquilt.org , or you can attend a free workshop at 3 p.m. Monday, Jan. 18, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, at Sew Creative, 115 East Main St., Ashland. Ashland freelance writer Julie Akins is a journalism instructor at SOU and author of “Common Miracles: Gifts from a Grateful Universe.” Email her at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ @julieakins. By Julie Akins For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Julie Akins For the Tidings Posted Jan. 10, 2016 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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