Stitches for refugees project, Cedarburg exhibit displays message

CEDARBURG, Wis. - A quilt exhibition made possible by thousands of people across the world has made its way to Cedarburg.

The "25 Million Stitches" project hopes to shed light on the global refugee crisis.

"To see each others' pain, from one human to another human’s perspective," said Jennifer Kim Sohn, the project's curator and organizer. "I think that comes through clearly when you are walking among these aisles."

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Somebody's story is sewn on each banner.

"I wanted to house it in one space to be able to see the scale of it – the scale of the global refugee crisis," Kim Sohn said.

"25 Million Stitches" exhibit at Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fibers

Each stitch represents one person who has been forced to flee their home country. Kim Sohn said she read there were more than 25 million refugees worldwide in 2019, setting the target number for the project.

"Refugees have to choose between staying and dying, or leaving with the hope that they will be able to live – but that’s not guaranteed," she said.

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Kim Sohn initially set out to complete the 25 million stitches by herself and was blown away by the number of people who wanted to participate – roughly 2,300 people from all 50 states and 39 different counties.

"Every one of these panels are like love letters to the refugees to give them hope, to have solidarity," she said. 

"25 Million Stitches" exhibit at Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fibers

Kim Sohn said the exhibit, now on display at the Wisconsin Museum of Quilts and Fiber Arts in Cedarburg until late July, encourages people to open their eyes and see neighbors in need.

"It’s about seeing the refugees, giving them the dignity and humanity that they are losing," she said. "There’s nothing that they’ve done that’s different from us."