HARRIET TUBMAN: IF YOU WANT A TASTE OF FREEDOM
Download Official Project Brief (PDF)

A Harriet Tubman Community Quilt Project & Educational Documentary

Grounded in Tubman’s directive—"If you want a taste of freedom, keep going"—this initiative is a monumental creative, educational, and preservation alliance exploring the intersection of historical inheritance, collective authorship, and modern activism.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project centers on the creation of a monumental 9-foot wide by 12-foot tall contemporary textile work titled If You Want A Taste Of Freedom. Based on a "line style" portrait by Adam Himoff depicting Harriet Tubman as a fierce, defiant young woman, the artwork frames Tubman’s legacy not as a static archive, but as an active survival guide for contemporary democracy.

THREE CORE PILLARS

  • An Intergenerational Textile Monument: Fabricated at Open Works in East Baltimore, the production process pairs master guild elders from the African American Quilters of Baltimore (AAQB) with student artists from MICA. This trusted creative network acts as a living laboratory, mirroring the collective logistics and cross-community partnerships Tubman built on the Underground Railroad.

  • The Cinematic Narrative: A 30-minute documentary short directed by Emmy-winner Danny Schmidt serves as the project's narrative engine. Connecting the historic Eastern Shore with urban Baltimore, the film archives the living oral histories of the makers while profiling "Modern Harriets"—contemporary Maryland leaders carrying her legacy forward today.

  • Open-Access Oral History Repository: Led by Interpretive Curator Ashleigh Coren, an open-access digital archive of primary-source interviews and K-12 educational toolkits will be permanently deposited at the Harriet Tubman Freedom Center, serving researchers and educators statewide.

REGIONAL TOUR & PERMANENT LOCATION

Supported by a suite of interpretive assets, the monumental textile will embark on a regional exhibition tour across premier cultural and historical institutions. Following its tour, the physical quilt and interactive media display will be permanently installed at the Harriet Tubman Freedom Center in Cambridge, Maryland—returning home to stand as an enduring educational foundation at Tubman’s place of origin.

PROJECT OVERVIEW AT A GLANCE

STAY CONNECTED & GET INVOLVED

Whether you are an educator, community member, art enthusiast, or potential partner, we invite you to follow along as this living heritage project unfolds.

Download Official Project Brief (PDF)