Session: Winter 2021

Artists: 12 teen girls*

Materials + Tools: Fabric, felt, tacky glue, fabric pins, scissors, sewing machine, grommets

Description: In the winter session of Protest + Print led by instructors Emily Pilloton and HyeYoon Song, we asked ourselves: What does it mean to fly a flag? Is it an allegiance, a statement, a protest? In response to the hate-filled imagery of the January 6th Capitol Riot, our girls wrote, designed, and constructed their own fabric flags. “Flags as a symbol can feel really intimidating,” HyeYoon said. “They’re also something that people may have a different interpretation of, especially if you’re a person of color or thinking about your citizenship.” By designing their own flags, girls reclaimed their agency by deciding which truths to honor and emblazon for the world to see. These flags are girls’ statements about their own lives, where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. We’re so proud of this project and the bravery, honesty, and determination of our Protest + Print girls!

*“Girls” refers to gender-expansive youth (cis girls, trans girls, non-binary youth, gender non-conforming youth, gender queer youth, and any girl-identified youth).