Waltraud Reiner’s speech on opening night
Wed 3rd Dec 08 - view photos here.

Hi my name is Waltraud Reiner and I am organising this colourful exhibition because I am passionate about finding ways to give people an opportunity to express themselves creatively.
My wish is to see people connect through making and creating for themselves and for others.

I personally have found through experience that we often get so carried away by life and its busyness and very often we disconnect from ourselves and within that from others.
By stopping long enough and joining a project like this one here, we give ourselve a chance to create, connect and to inspire each other.
Blankets to me are comforting. Everyone knows what it feels like to be wrapped in a blanket on a cold day, ……when sick,……. when relaxed……blankets are there to hide under …….or to feel secure in………….
We sit on blankets with delicious picnics, share, laugh or we might even be brave enough for other things ………..I leave it to your imagination what that could be……..

People who contributed those blankets have also expressed feelings, memories and good wishes into the blankets you see here and some of the stories are very touching.
One blanket over here was stitched together by a group I was part off. People send pieces and it was our task to join them into a blanket. It proved very difficult as we tried to make it visually pleasing and very quickly it showed that one of us did not like the coloures, the other did not like the textures and yet another the shapes. Everyone wanted to leave some pieces out. This is where it came apparent that we all too often refuse to ’accept what is’, too ’include what is’ and to ’embrace what is’……………once we saw that, we were able to stitch together the pieces which turned out to be a most beautiful blanket. (See photo)

From here in St Kilda the exhibition will travel to communities around Australia till August next year, enthusing communities to add to the collection for the greater good of OTHERS.
There have a number of people, mostly women, who put up their hand to bring these blankets here to their community and enthuse them to add.
We know it will go to Echuca, Brisbane, Beaufort and the tablelands in Cairnes………..

On return to Melbourne in 2009 we will celebrate the blankets with a gala dinner and auction of blankets and give the very practical blankets to homeless people.

Any money raised by ‘’Blankets of Happiness’’ exhibition and the Blue Hat Project will benefit the Port Philipp Eco Centre which will use the money for projects connecting community creatively.

Eco House MISSION: To work with the community to improve and protect the natural environment and ensure good living for future generations.
Thank you all for being here to be part of this very important launch.

I have now the pleasure to introduce Helen Gory, from Helen Gory gallery, who will formally open the Exhibition and she knows a thing or two
when it comes to art.

Good evening
I’d like to thank Waltraud for introducing me to ‘blue hat project’, and its only very recently that I’ve become aware of it. So Im honoured to be asked to launch this exhibition.
ìBlankets of happinessî, what a beautiful title for an exhibition. I will call these blankets, artworks, because that is what they are, each one is hand made and made with so much thought, care and love, that its quite overwhelming. And I will talk about these in just a minute.

There’s a lovely quote that Waltraud attached to the text about this exhibition:
ìthe one who works with his hands is a labourer, the one who works with his hands and head is a craftsman, the one who works with his hands, head and heart is an artist.î F Assissi

Without art, the freedom to create and express, we don’t have a society.

Making objects, making art, writing, dance, music.. books, poetry, gardening, cooking, sewing.. all the things that nurture our hearts and minds are also the things that bring people together. What’s more, it brings different cultures together. We love Mexican art, we love African tribal dancing, we love western paintings, we love eating ThaiÖ these are the things that are positive and beautiful in our world. And, its individual people that make it happen and its communities that support these creative individuals.
Its through the arts and the creative process that we express ourselves so freely and without inhibition.. or so it should be, in an ideal world.

Right now, We live in a fast world, media driven, advertising dominated and money obsessed. Its no wonder people easily slip though the net, feel lonely, depressed, alienated, disorientated... and we all know and understand how this feels. We have experienced it ourselves or know someone that is going thru hard times.
Blue hat project is about bringing people together through a creative process, and through the process of creating, communication and participation begins. And it’s thru participation that we feel a sense of belonging. It’s the sense of belonging that is so important and is the essence of our existence.
I was watching a documentary just the other day, ‘what about me’, where an African man was laughing at our western culture’s obsession with money, he laughed and asked ‘what good is the money without family?’, and then he laughed again and said ìwhat good is all the money and possessions of he is still not happy?î
Its such a simple question.

So is the philosophy of blue hat project simple., through participation with our community, through making and creating, we feel a sense of belonging, and a sense of worth.
Its common knowledge that the more we give, the better we feel.
When we can make someone happy just by a smile, a gift, a hug , asking for help, asking a lonely friend for dinner and as we see around us, making a beautiful artwork together its the process that is the joy, not the outcome..

As you walk around this exhibition each blanket is unique, so starts your journey tonite. We are all unique and we need to be reminded that this is a very good thing!
All the artworks in this room have their own story and are loaded with symbolism.
They’ve been made in groups, in pairs, by families or by individuals, we have some made by school children, You can feel the joy these people gained by making such an artwork and the sense that they will be a part of something big.. as the song goes ‘from little things big things grow’

We are one: started off as individual pieces that were really nothing special, Waltraud told me that they were trying to make sense of it, which squares to leave out and which ones to put together. In the end , they sewed them all in and the result, a gorgeous blanket that has a sense of purpose, a nice metaphor for the individual being stronger when we band together.
I love the family jumper, stunningly made.. look at it carefully, there are holes, these holes are there for reason, room for one more, you see, we are all connected but we are individuals too.
Flying high: we can achieve whatever we aim to as long as we allow that string the length that we need.
Crosses are kisses: yes they are! The simplicity of this piece makes it charming; the camel hair used makes you want to snuggle into it.
Pink Lily,: the artist says, ‘this rug was made with left overs from other projects and I thought, if life seems to be scrappy, turn it into something useful. My personal philosophy is ‘for every problem there is a solution, just find it and accept it’.
Mega knitted blanket: the sheer beauty of colour and texture show the magnitude of what life can be.

Finally, white blanket felted into cloth: I hope this blanket brings somebody happiness. We enjoyed sharing time out of our busy lives to create something soft and beautiful.î

I think this sums up the blanket of happiness exhibition and blue hat project.

Lets take some time out, and encourage ourselves to be a part of our community. Tell lots of friends, show them the blue hat project website, make a blanket, donate money, give your time, or share your ideas. This exhibition will travel around Australia and when it comes back in August 2009 with more blankets that people have made from other communities, Waltraud has organised a gala dinner to auction these artworks. The money will go to helping those individuals who have lost their way and need us, and to help communities achieve their own happiness.

I think that tonite is a chance to take the time to look and feel the warmth of each blanket and the positive message it brings to you.
Id like to personally thank Waltraud for her endless and tireless work in making blue hat project such a success. We should all thank her for being the creator of this, and I would like to thank her for bringing me back to earth with real people.
Let me end with something she said to me when we were looking at the Shabbat blanket: What can we visualise for ourselves our friends and our future?
And when we make a toast or a le’chaim, What do we wish for?