For Community Voices, Sloane Davidson and Jayna Zweiman present a reflective virtual conversation marking the culmination of the Welcome Blanket project in Pittsburgh. Their talk considers the project as both a social sculpture and a collective act of care, tracing how participatory making, textiles, and storytelling have fostered networks of belonging for immigrant communities. Situating this work within the broader landscape of current challenges facing immigrants, they examine the role of art as a responsive, community-centered practice—one that holds space for solidarity, visibility, and ongoing dialogue amid shifting political and cultural conditions.

Sloane Davidson

Prior to starting Hello Neighbor, Sloane worked for 15 years across the intersection of philanthropy and digital marketing. For 8 years, she created and led one of the leading cause blogs on the Internet called The Causemopolitan. She currently sits on the Board of Resolve Network, an NGO based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, that focuses on jobs for women in post-conflict countries through microfinance, and the prestigious Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy Women’s Philanthropy Institute. She was a 2009 Kiva Fellow in the Philippines and has been invited to speak on her activism at The Clinton Global Initiative and The World Economic Forum. Sloane has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from the University of Vermont and a Master of Public Policy & Management from the University of Pittsburgh. A proud Pittsburgh native, Sloane returned to her hometown in 2015 and currently lives in Highland Park with her husband and two sons.

Jayna Zweiman

Jayna Zweiman is a prominent American multidisciplinary artist, designer, and activist known for co-founding the iconic Pussyhat Project for the 2017 Women's March and creating the Welcome Blanket Project, connecting immigrants and locals through handcrafted quilts. Her work blends architecture, craft, and new media to foster community and social commentary, using knitting and textiles to create powerful visual statements of solidarity and welcome.

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