From our homeland, we brought the memories of our ancestors in the delicately hand-woven peasant blouses called ‘ie’. Each piece represents a unique work of art that carries a story, a poem, and a longing for home. We seek to revive the poetry of our ancestor’s folk motifs and bring their stories to life by recreating the original embroideries in a collective project.
Samples of Our Artwork
Patterns that Unite Us and Build Community
HORA’s Stitches of Love project was launched in the fall of 2020. It is a token of gratitude of Minnesotans’ efforts in times of crises and a display of the resilience passed along to us by our grandmothers and their grandmothers before them – through the beauty and spirit of our traditional blouses.
In times of crisis, like the COVID19 years, we come together to help and lift one another. We comfort, encourage and embrace each other with love and compassion. We might be living apart, but we are united in our sense of community. Folk art is embedded in the daily life of many communities; it is an experience, often practical, and an object of art. Cross-stitching has kept participants of all ages motivated and going, giving them a purpose.
Building a Lifelong Legacy Art Competition
Our Collective Project Needs You Help
One year later, we had over 200 pieces of folk cross-stitching collected from members and friends of Romanian – American community in MN. In December 2021 we moved to the second phase of our project and invited artists to assemble these cross-stitched patches of various colors, shapes, and motifs into an original composition in a 7’X8’ drawing, photograph or digital design in the shape of Minnesota.
We are happy to announce the winner for the Stitches of Love Art Competition: Melliza Vizcarrondo.
We are also happy to announce the young artist prize goes to Jordan Ho.
We want to thank all participants for the wonderful design ideas they submitted. The winners were announced on April 10th 2022 at our event in the Landmark Center building, downtown St Paul, MN. The winner received a cash award of $500 and local textile artists will bring their vision to life. We also awarded $500 to a young artist (under 25 years old). We envision that the final artwork will participate at art exhibits recognizing ethnic communities’ endurance through art.
Please join us in celebrating this stage in our project. Look for an upcoming event to celebrate the completion of this project in the months to come. All materials provided for the purpose of this competition are the property of Heritage Organization of Romanian Americans in MN and are subject to copyright laws.
