Please join us Friday, November 9th from 12-2pm in the SSW Atrium, to take part in the communal act of weaving together a tapestry for the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Tapestries and weavings are symbolic of the importance of the many contributing to the strength, complexity and vibrancy of the whole. Through thoughtful reflection and careful intention, we will fabricate an emblem of solidarity and reverence for those so deeply impacted by this tragedy. This event will be facilitated by professor and artist, Lauren Siegel and student artist Joanna Merry. Participants will be given instruction and need no prior weaving or art experience. Lauren Siegel is an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and a lifelong social worker and affordable housing advocate, specializing in people experiencing homelessness and people with disabilities. She also teaches arts and crafts at the Jubilee Arts Center in W. Baltimore and at the Langston Hughes Community Resource Center. Lauren and a friend also started a nonprofit community art program, Mosaic Makers, six years ago. Joanna Merry is a foundation year MSW student who has been involved in community art programs in various regions for the past 10 years. Joanna currently works with various populations independently and through Art with a Heart and Baltimore Clayworks. She is a strong believer in the benefits of the art making process and has witnessed the impacts that art has in transforming the lives and well-being of both individuals and communities.