Weaving Our Pride

Artist Lily Hope is weaving together six mentor-artists and Juneau youth to collaboratively create two rainbow robes. These robes will be will be made and housed at the Zach Gordon Youth Center in Juneau and become permanent wearable art pieces to be worn only by youth during Sealaska Heritage’s biennial Celebration, graduations, new-name parties, coming out parties, and other significant Native and non-Native Pride events.

From spinning the warp together, weaving, and adding the final fringes to witnessing the first dance, this project asks Native, non-Native, queer, straight, cis-gender, transgender, allies, and youth of all identities to sit side by side for one year as they work to create the pieces by early June 2024.

We come to the work with a prayer of gratitude for the practice left in our care, and the teachers who came before us. We weave for identity, healing, community, and for strength of spirit and mind. The work is bigger than any one of us and it creates lasting, positive change in the community.

We appreciate your generous and enthusiastic support of our youth, our arts, and our cultures.

—Artists Lily Hope, Melina Meyer, Rae Mills, Laine Rinehart, Hanna Shempf, Ricky Tagaban, and Jodi Watts

Please support this project at juneaucf.org/fund/weaving-our-pride-robe-fund/ or scan the QR code

This project is supported in part by Emma Goldman and private donors in the Juneau community and beyond.