‘Home’ a new exhibit at the Rochester Arts Center

(ABC 6 News) – There’s a new exhibit at the Rochester Arts Center that’s designed to make everyone feel a sense of belonging. It’s called ‘Home’ and organizers say it’s meant to explore, mend, and re-imagine people’s relationships with their hometowns.

In 2019, filmmaker Cecilia Cornejo Sotelo bought an old ice fishing house and converted it into an audio recording booth, so members of the Northfield and Lansboro communities could share their thoughts and feelings about their towns.
She had the idea of displaying those thoughts and feelings on quilts because quilts are often made with many different pieces of fabric.
So in 2020, Cecilia took quotes from 85 community members and had them embroidered on quilts to tell the stories of their cities.

"This very American tradition of quilt making and the idea that quilts are made from fragments. It was kind of like of course it has to be that," said exhibit artist Cecilia Cornejo Soleto.

Each town has its own quilt but Cecilia said the project is not over. When finished ‘Home’ will be a trilogy of rural Minnesota towns. Next up is Red Wing. The exhibit will be displayed at the Rochester Arts Center until August 21st.