This Thursday, the Dixon Gallery & Gardens invites all to collaborate on a project that will draw in more than 250,000 participants from around the country and, eventually, culminate in a visual art installation at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. It’s called the National Scrollathon.
Created by brothers Steven and William Ladd, each Scrollathon has its participants roll fabric strips around wooden dowels. Participants make two of these rolls, one to keep for themselves — “like a little memento,” says Kristen Rambo, the Dixon’s communications manager — and one for a community piece that’ll be photographed for the D.C. installation. The piece created Thursday may even go into the Dixon’s permanent collection.
The Scrollathon is meant to bring together community members of all ages and backgrounds as participants imbue personal stories and statements into the making of their scrolls, often sharing with the group. The idea began in 2006 when the Ladd brothers were looking for something young students could create. Turns out, kids weren’t the only ones who could benefit in the scrolls’ opportunity for self-expression, the artists realized. And so, over the years, the Ladds have hosted Scrollathons for the incarcerated, veterans, seniors, and festivals.
Now, the National Scrollathon, say the brothers on their website, “will bring one Scrollathon to every state; five U.S. territories; Washington, D.C.; 10 locations that will specifically involve individuals of native ancestry. The scrollathons [take] place over five years, concluding at our nation’s 250th birthday in 2026.”
“We’re the only participant in Tennessee,” Rambo says.
To participate in the Dixon’s Scrollathon, register for a one-hour time slot at dixon.org/events.
Scrollathon at the Dixon, Dixon Gallery & Gardens, 4339 Park Avenue, Thursday, June 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.