Exhibit at Mohawk Institute uses quilts to honour Survivors and foster reconciliation
Casandra Turnbull
Managing Editor
A unique month-long exhibition opening this week at the former Mohawk Institute Residential School invites visitors to reflect on the history of residential schools through the shared language of quilts.
You Are Not Forgotten opens with a free public reception on Thursday, July 23, at the Woodland Cultural Centre and runs through Aug. 14. The exhibition brings together the Grand River Quilt Project and the Six Nations Piecemakers Quilt Club's Quilts for Survivors initiative in a collaboration organizers say is rooted in storytelling, remembrance and reconciliation.
The exhibition is being held in the Mohawk Institute's second-floor gallery. While the gallery will be open only during the opening reception that evening, visitors may tour the Mohawk Institute separately during regular operating hours throughout the exhibition period. Regular admission applies for tours, except during the opening and closing receptions.
The collaboration grew out of a four-year journey that began with the Grand River Quilt Project, a community initiative that brought people living along the Grand River together to share their stories through quilting. As the project evolved, organizers connected with the Six Nations Piecemakers Quilt Club and its Quilts for Survivors initiative, leading to what organizers describe as a natural partnership.
"The collaboration began when the Piecemakers introduced their Quilts for Survivors initiative during a Grand River Quilt Project workshop," said Sharon Gashgarian, one of the exhibition organizers. "This shared commitment to storytelling, remembrance, and connection inspired the two projects to come together in an exhibition at Woodland Cultural Centre - a particularly meaningful setting given its connection to the history of the Mohawk Institute."
Gashgarian said the exhibition was made possible through the support of several community partners. Woodland Cultural Centre donated the gallery space and promotional materials in goodwill, while Grandview Theatre artistic director Peter Muir sponsored the appearance of special guest Vanessa Génier, founder of Quilts for Survivors. Gashgarian also supported the project through funding received from the City of Brantford, in partnership with Laurier Brantford's StartUp program, through its Community Changemakers grant.
The exhibition title, You Are Not Forgotten, reflects its central message of remembering Survivors of residential schools while creating space for dialogue and understanding.
According to Gashgarian, the exhibit extends well beyond displaying handcrafted quilts.
"The exhibit is about much more than displaying quilts. Each quilt carries stories of memory, resilience, connection, and community," she said. "The Grand River Quilt reflects the many voices and experiences of people connected to the river, while the Survivors Quilts are created as expressions of care, remembrance, and support for residential school Survivors."
She said organizers hope visitors leave with "a deeper understanding of the stories held within these quilts and the people and communities behind them."
"Most importantly, we hope they feel a sense of connection—that they take time to listen, reflect, remember, and recognize that through art and community, we can honour the past while creating space for healing and understanding."
Holding the exhibition inside the former Mohawk Institute Residential School, one of Canada's oldest and longest-running residential schools, was an intentional decision.
"It was important to hold the exhibit at the former Mohawk Institute Residential School because the setting carries profound historical and emotional significance," Gashgarian said. "The Survivors quilts are about comfort, connection, resilience, and the importance of remembering—and this location provides a meaningful context for those themes."
She said bringing the two quilt projects together at the historic site creates a meaningful dialogue between community stories and the lived experiences of residential school Survivors.
"We hope the setting encourages visitors to slow down, reflect, listen, and consider how art and community can help keep stories alive," she said. "The quilts do not erase the painful history connected to the site, but they bring messages of care, remembrance, connection, and hope into a place where those messages hold deep meaning."
The exhibition also serves as an invitation for the broader community to engage with ongoing truth and reconciliation efforts.
"I would say that this exhibit offers an opportunity to begin learning through listening," Gashgarian said. "You do not need to know everything about residential schools or Indigenous history before visiting. What matters is coming with an open mind, respect, and a willingness to learn."
She added that while awareness is an important first step, reconciliation requires continued action.
"For the wider community, this exhibit is an invitation to learn more, to listen to Survivors and Indigenous communities, and to consider our shared responsibilities in the ongoing work of reconciliation. Education and reconciliation begin with awareness, but they continue through listening, understanding, and building respectful relationships." The You Are Not Forgotten exhibition runs from July 23 to Aug. 14 at the Woodland Cultural Centre, 184 Mohawk St., Brantford. A free opening reception will be held Thursday, July 23, with the Mohawk Institute's second-floor gallery open exclusively for the event. Regular admission applies for tours during the exhibition period, except during the opening and closing receptions. Visitors are encouraged to check the Woodland Cultural Centre website or call ahead for current tour hours.
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