K-12 Education Programs

Stitched Together

Students at Kingston Catholic School, Rhinebeck High, and Ulster BOCES worked with the Reher Center, in partnership with the Ulster County Archives and local seamstress Maria Cabrera, to research and interpret the stories of nine of the girls and women listed as employees of F. Jacobson and Sons Shirt Factory in a newspaper article from 1918.

Our combined work, an exhibit called "Stitched Together," is on display in the Reher Center courtyard and front windows through fall, 2021.

This is part of a larger effort to collect and amplify the voices of female garment workers in our city past and present. Source: The Kingston Daily Freeman, September 21, 1918.

The Making of Stitched Together

Throughout the school year, filmmaker Paula Ann Mitchell documented students' work and reflections. "The Making of Stitched Together" premiered in September 13th, 2021.

Filmmaker Paula Ann Mitchell's introduction

"The Making of Stitched Together"

Maria Cabrera, a local dressmaker and pattern maker is creating reproduction 1910s blouses for Ulster Boces students to use for their part in our Sewing in Kingston exhibit at the Reher Center. Hear Maria describe her process of deciding which fabric, button, and sleeve styles are most appropriate to represent what working-class women from that time would have worn. Thank you Maria for so generously donating your time and skills to this program!
Kingston Catholic School students working to research the former employees of F. Jacobson and Sons Factory
This exhibition is made possible thanks to significant support from the Coby Foundation and support from Humanities New York.

         

Worry Dolls Project/Proyecto Muñecas Quitapenas

 

kingstonmulticulturalfestival.org/worry-dolls/

The Guatemalan legend says, "Tell your worries to the worry dolls before you go to bed and put them under your pillow. In the morning, the dolls will have taken your worries away!"

Worry is an emotion we all have all experienced this past year, regardless of our culture or identity. Let's come together to turn our worries into art as we celebrate immigrant culture. This community craft project honoring the tradition of the Muñeca Quitapenas, Guatemalan Worry Dolls, is presented by The Reher Center and the Cornell Creative Arts Center.

In April and May 2021, Karen Pillsworth, Kingston’s Storyteller Laureate, led this project with 33 classes at JFK and George Washington school.

Find our original story in English, Spanish, and Q'eqchi' (an indigenous language in Guatemala), as well as how-to instructions so that you can discover this tradition and make your own dolls at home!

Please share a photo of your doll with us at #WorryDollHV so we can include it on this page!

Reher's Bakery Tours
In-Class Visits
Partnership Programs