The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

On February 25, 2025, nearly 100 participants from across Connecticut gathered at The Aldrich for a remarkable day blending art-making, storytelling, and community reflection. Led by artists and brothers Steven and William Ladd, founders of Scrollathon, the workshop invited participants to consider the question: What are your hopes and dreams for America?

Taking inspiration from quilting bees and story circles, the Scrollathon workshop created space for people of all backgrounds to connect through shared stories and hands-on making. Each participant created two hand-rolled fabric scrolls: one to keep in a commemorative tin, and one to contribute to a collective artwork representing Connecticut in a nationwide exhibition.

Scrollathon: Connecticut Edition is part of a sweeping national initiative that will culminate in a major multimedia installation by Steven and William Ladd at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., beginning on Memorial Day through Labor Day 2026. The Kennedy Center exhibition will include large-scale textile artworks from all 50 states and U.S. territories, photographic murals of participants, and a continuous video presentation of oral histories and reflections shared during the workshops.

Participants in The Aldrich’s Scrollathon included individuals from longtime Museum partners such as Side by Side Charter School, St. Luke’s School, Ridgefield Station Senior Living, the Maggie Daly Arts Cooperative, the Ridgefield Transition Program, and members of the general public. Their scrolls, portraits, and recorded stories are now part of a growing national archive of community voices.

The Scrollathon offers a powerful and joyful space of exchange, across generations, geographies, and identities. The quiet, meditative act of rolling fabric became a shared ritual for reflection, connection, and civic imagination.

This installation at The Aldrich is on view in The Studio learning space through Labor Day 2026, and is made possible with generous support from Connecticut Humanities, Ethan Allen, The Norwitt Family, John and Charlotte Suhler, and the Taylor-Zemo Foundation.

To learn more about Scrollathon, please visit scrollathon.com