Perpich School To Represent Minnesota in ‘National Scrollathon’ Project
Students at a Golden Valley arts high school will represent Minnesota for a national art project.
The “National Scrollathon” will be on display in Washington, D.C., in 2026, representing all 50 states and U.S. territories. The Perpich Center for Arts Education was selected to host and represent Minnesota for the project.
The art consists of handmade fabric scrolls put together in a wooden frame for display. Artists and brothers Steven and William Ladd are spearheading the process, touring across the country to make it happen.
“We all have a role to play in this world right now to bring commonality and bring unity to our country,” Steven Ladd said. “Those kind of collective contributions can have a massive impact on our nation.”
The Ladd brothers led the class of artists in a singing exercise at the beginning of their session. This was one of the many interactive ways they engaged people for the Scrollathon session.
Expressing Themselves
People make up the fabric of a society. Inside Perpich Arts High School, its people are using fabric to make their voices heard. The Ladd brothers came into a classful of Perpich students, staff and faculty with an infectious energy — and a mission.
“Today, you’re going to use textiles to express your stories,” Steven Ladd told the class.
“This scroll will contain your story — whatever story you want to share with the group today,” said William Ladd, demonstrating the ‘scrolling’ process.
Perpich artists got to make two scrolls, one to take home and another for the broader project. For the first, they picked two ribbons from a variety of colors and patterns. They got to name the scroll and attach a story to it.
CCX News was there as artists shared their scroll’s stories. As each person stepped up to share, the Ladds had a special process of quieting the room.
“It’s not just about being heard, but having an opportunity to really listen to the people who are also in the space,” Steven Ladd said.
Perpich senior Ruth Civettini was one of the students who shared. She used a ribbon with an American flag pattern with a red ribbon within. She said it symbolized how she feels America is in a sheltered bubble.
Civettini signed up for the class to get to know her peers and share her story.
“I also thought it would be a good opportunity to share my experiences as an American, and how I view our society as a whole,” Civettini said.
Other people shared scrolls that represented their family members, unique experiences and even just their favorite colors.
A Perpich student prepares their personal scroll for the National Scrollathon project.
A Nationwide Effort
The first scroll was an opportunity to connect the room before creating something for the whole country to connect to.
“It’s a very critical time in our nation to create forms of connection and unity, and one of our goals is to play a role in uniting America,” Steven Ladd said.
Each person’s statewide scrolls were made the same way — rolled together tight around a wooden dowel and secured with a pin. For this part of the project, artists could pick between shades of blue, green and white.
Artists got to decorate the dowel with a personal touch and then place it in the wooden frame. The Ladd brothers then put the work together for the display and a souvenir book for each location.
These scrolls will be secured dow, and put on display as a part of the nationwide project in Washington, D.C. People can view it across the Kennedy Center campus from Memorial Day until Labor Day in 2026.
“When people come to the Kennedy Center, they’re going to see faces and collaborative artworks from every state and territory in our nation,” Steven Ladd said.
At Perpich, more than 70 students, staff and board members participated.
A finished board of scrolls at the Sarasota Art Museum in Florida. (Courtesy scrollathon.org)
