Welcome to the Middle East Peace Quilt!

The Quilt is an international community art project which I created with the help of over 300 people, all answering the question: what is your vision of peace in the Middle East? Participants included Jews and Palestinians, adults and children, and professional artists as well as those new to artistic expression.

The Quilt first opened in Vancouver Canada in 1999, and its 31 panels have been touring ever since. You will find these panels in Gallery One, along with the words of the people who made them. These panels are dedicated to the ordinary Israelis and Palestinians who, despite the realities of the occupation, have not given up hope, but found ways to work together.

In 2007, on a subsequent project, I worked with Palestinian women and children near Bethlehem. I invited them to send fabric greetings to the rest of the world. You will find these pieces in Gallery Two.

Then in 2015 I discovered a Face Book page called “Jews and Arabs Refuse to be Enemies”. I created fabric portraits of the photographs people posted on that page. You will find this work in Gallery Three.

I have always described the Middle East Peace Quilt as a room full of people who will never meet, listening to each other. I invite you to join this conversation by exploring the site.

Sima Elizabeth Shefrin Artist/Coordinator
Middle East Peace Quilt

Squares