FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -
Urban Knitting Installation Commemorates 19th Amendment Centennial
Historic Richmond Town’s General Store decorated in honor of women’s suffrage
Staten Island, New York: August 26, 2020 - Historic Richmond Town marks a century of women’s suffrage with a pop-up outdoor installation of handcrafted yarn work. Columns of the General Store are covered in knitted and crocheted stripes of gold, white, and lavender, the colors of American suffragist movement, who marched for the right to vote 100 years ago. A handmade banner, with the words ‘Votes for Women’ hangs between the two center columns. This banner resembles suffrage items in the Historic Richmond Town Collection.
This installation is an example of ‘yarnbombing’ or ‘urban knitting’ a kind of street art that uses colorful yarn or fiber rather than chalk or paint. More than 20 volunteers and staff participated in this project, coming to Historic Richmond Town for a series of socially distanced ‘crafternoons’, dedicating 75 hours to the effort. Volunteers knitted and crocheted individual segments, which were stitched together, then affixed to the columns.
The General Store, adjacent to the Third County Courthouse in Historic Richmond Town, is a fitting backdrop for the installation. From 1880 to 1920, the General Store was operated by three sisters, Josephine, Mary, and Sarah Black.
This temporary installation will be on display for 19 days, in commemoration of the 19th Amendment, beginning on August 26, Women’s Equality Day, and ending on September 13. The grounds of Historic Richmond Town are open to the public, and visitors are encouraged to come and check out this display in-person.
WATCH:
In honor of the centennial of the 19th Amendment in August, a special edition of Historic Richmond Town talks was offered in August, “HRT EqualiTea.” Historic Richmond Town's Curator and Diversity Coordinator Sarah Clark, and Edwina Martin, Commissioner and Public Administrator of Richmond County explored special collections items related to the women's movement, as well as the stories of some known and lesser-known female figures in Staten Island history.
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About Historic Richmond Town:
Historic Richmond Town is dedicated to creating opportunities for the public to explore the diversity of the American experience, especially that of Staten Island and its neighboring communities from the colonial period to the present. Historic Richmond Town preserves and maintains 40 historic structures over 112 acres of preserved parkland across four unique sites on Staten Island. The main site is a living history village featuring the Historical Museum that showcases the vast collection through engaging exhibitions. Historic Richmond Town offers public tours, membership, lectures, workshops, over a dozen special events and a variety of educational programs. A visit to Historic Richmond Town is an immersive step into history.
Historic Richmond Town
441 Clark Avenue
718-351-1611
historicrichmondtown.org
Historic Richmond Town is a non-profit educational cultural institution. Programs and events help raise funds to support the mission. Historic Richmond Town is operated by the Staten Island Historical Society, a Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation instituted and incorporated in 1856.
Press Contact:
Amy Kennard
Director of External Affairs, Historic Richmond Town
akennard@historicrichmondtown.org
718-351-1611, ex. 266