Monarch Tapestry Project Celebration

Family-friendy event includes reception with artists, hands-on activity for all ages, and learning about Monarch butterfly migration 

Meet the artists and members of the community who created these lovely and unique tapestries. The celebration includes food, Monarch tagging, a chance to meet lead artists Julie and Gustavo Boada and Anne Sawyer, and connect with the community members who helped develop this project. This family-friendly event is free and for all ages and will include a hands-on art activity. 

Through a gift from the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, ArtStart invited Latino families and community members to participate in a public art project based on the Monarch butterfly. Designed to capture that beauty of the Monarch, impart knowledge about its life cycle, and promote deeper understanding of why Monarch protection is so vital, the project called for families and individuals to work with ArtStart artists Julie Boada and Gustavo Boada to create their own special part of large tapestries using applique, embroidery, and dry felting techniques.  

The project was initiated in late Fall 2022 with several virtual artist-led instructional meetings involving Julie and Gustavo from ArtStart and Logan Sauer, naturalist from the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge. At least 12 families, including Spanish- and English-speaking members of the community in the Twin Cities, were involved in the creation of these pieces, each designing individual sections.

Artist Anne Sawyer designed the final look of the four tapestries and hand-embroidered all of the appliqué work. She worked with artist Tara Fahey to assemble and sew them together during the spring of 2023. ArtStart supplied all the materials and instruction. Four tapestries are now hanging at the MN Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The tapestries are each 4x12 feet.

Artists involved in this project: Gustavo Boada, Julie Boada, Ana De Leon, Luis Delgado, Tara Fahey, Evelyn Heaton, Nicole Heaton, Donna Kazanowski, Andrea Lemus, Arelys Lemus, Ashley Lemus, Brenda Lemus, Fiona Lennox, Alyssa Markle, Christine Markle, Erica McNair Marsden, 刘澎 Peng Nelson, Margo Sandoval, Logan Sauer, Anne Sawyer, Jill Sederholm, and Lloyd Vogel.

Image: Julie Boada