We’re privileged to be working on the North Square Public Art Project for so many reasons but chief among them is getting to know the caretakers of the North End.
A couple of weeks ago we had the honor of viewing a magnificent 12′ square quilt in the care of Bennett and Richard Molinari of Sacred Heart Church. The quilt was sewn by Frances Hutchins and the ladies of The Women’s Forum in honor of America’s Bicentennial in 1976. The center of the quilt is a map with images that represent the women’s recollections of growing up in the North End. The Molinari brothers shared their own memories of the vendors of ice, fish and fruit that once populated the streets, especially “The Crab Man” who ‘lost’ a crab from time to time!
On the 30th anniversary of the quilt, the Molinari’s wrote that: “Most will never know the depths of the joy and pain that was part of the North End depicted in that tapestry, it is a work of art that carries a profound message captured in thread and fabric. 31 women managed to convey a story of the power of community and family.” We wish everyone could see this quilt!
