Malverne Chamber of Commerce launches digital quilt project

With the Malverne Chamber of Commerce’s annual Art Walk delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic, the group wanted to find another way to celebrate artistic talent in the village. So the chamber, along with the Malverne Jewish Center, launched a digital quilt project earlier this month, in which residents can submit their artwork.

“This project is such an amazing opportunity for the community to come together using art to unite and show appreciation,” said Chamber Vice President Maria Casini. “We wanted to say thank you to all of the essential workers that are out there risking their lives for us. We thought this quilt could bring another dimension of hope, creativity, unity and joy to all in Malverne.”

Casini added that Benny Montalbano, of Elite Painting, suggested that the focus of the project should be on expressing gratitude to the village’s essential workers.

Rabbi Susan Elkodsi, spiritual leader of the Malverne Jewish Center, was working on a knitting project of her own before the pandemic began. It was based on Sefer Yetzirah, which means the Book of Creation, and Elkodsi asked Casini about the idea of submitting it to the Art Walk.

“They liked the idea, and somehow it morphed into this idea of people sharing their own artwork and putting it into a digital quilt,” Elkodsi said. “The chamber is working so hard, and they’re so creative in coming up with things, but that’s what I love about the village. We all have talents that can help make the world a better place.”

Now, Casini said, the chamber and the Jewish center plan to collect images to start creating the digital quilt, print them out and display them in storefronts throughout the village. By featuring an early, unfinished version of the quilt, she said, she hoped it would encourage others to contribute to the project.

“It will also provide an immediate, emotional support to the essential workers so that they can see right now — while they’re having their own challenges going to work — that we really appreciate them,” Casini said.

Chamber President Kathi Monroe said that while the group was hopeful that this would be a short-term project and that the pandemic would soon be over, for now it is important to find ways to bring the community together. “Our goal is to unite the community and have something that will uplift everyone,” Monroe said, “especially the people on the front lines.”

“We’re hoping that this quilt could someday hang in Village Hall, to really show a moment in time and how the community came together during a challenging crisis,” Casini said.

Those interested in contributing to the digital quilt project can send JPEGs to mcasini@visualfueldesign.com.