Assistant Professor of Textiles Liz Collins ‘91 TX/MFA ‘99 TX is staging phase four of her Knitting Nation project on June 21 (12-6pm) at Waterplace Park in Providence. The piece, which will ascend the steps and hill at Waterplace Park over the course of six hours, will be an homage to and reconstruction of the original gay pride rainbow flag. Eight uniformed knitters will sit in a row and manually operate knitting machines and each knitt a continuous length of fabric under a tent on the stage. The other seven knitters will hand-stitch the yardage together as it comes off the machines. Every half hour, the knitters and stitchers will rotate positions and this activity will carry on over the course of the afternoon, until a large banner grows up the face of the hill.

Liz has also created a survey which asks: “How do you feel about the rainbow flag as a symbol of gay pride and why?” At the event speakers will take turns reading replies from the survey, further engaging all who enter this picturesque public space in the center of Providence. Please plan to attend — and don’t forget to take the survey!