This fall, the Riverside Arts Center, 76 Huron Street, in Ypsilanti, will host a powerful and deeply personal exhibit by Ann Arbor fiber artist Christy Klim, titled “A Memoir of Abuse and Healing.”
The exhibit features quilts that chronicle Klim’s journey through trauma and recovery, offering viewers a rare glimpse into how art can serve as a form of medicine.
The Riverside Arts Center describes Klim’s work as “quilts documenting her healing journey with abuse.”
Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild (GAAQG) has partnered with SafeHouse for more than three decades. During this year’s exhibition, the guild will display quilts from its annual sale, with proceeds supporting SafeHouse’s mission.
The opening for the exhibit is scheduled for October 13 with a reception on October 16 from 5:30-7:30pm. Klim has been invited to speak at the reception.
The Artist’s Path
To truly understand this show, one must start with Klim’s own personal story, which she has generously shared.
Klim traces her earliest bond with fiber art to childhood memories: “On a drowsy afternoon when I was a toddler … I was tucked into my grandmother’s soft sofa with her granny-square afghan draped over me. The comfort and reassurance of her hand-crocheted blanket was beginning to work its magic.”
Later, she recalls being charmed by a simple patchwork quilt with bright colors and large quilting stitches, intended for everyday use, that her great-grandmother had made during a visit to her grandparents’ Pennsylvania farm. Those early tactile experiences laid the groundwork for a lifetime of creating with yarn, felt and fabric.
Over time, Klim experimented widely—knitting afghans, socks, toys and quilts. But it was during periods of emotional crisis that fiber art became more than a hobby—it became an anchor.
As she explains, after enduring memories of abuse resurfaced while caring for her father, she turned to quilted tableaux of scenes from her past.
“Each of those disturbing scenes became a small panel … I was in control of those little figures.”
In that act of creation, dark images that once felt overwhelming became “small and manageable.” She embellished them, dressed them, arranged them and integrated them into a twelve-foot wall hanging that ends with panels illustrating joy and relief.
Klim’s work also reaches beyond her individual story. Inspired by the Patchwork Healing Blanket/La Manta de Curación project—a global quilt initiative that utilizes textile art to resist violence against women—she contributed a quilted patch based on a photo she received of a bruised face. That patch travels now as part of the touring healing blanket.
Importantly, then, Klim’s quilts stand at the intersection of personal testimony and collective narrative. Her show at Riverside is not just an autobiography in fabric, but a community call for acknowledgment, for healing and for vital expression.
How the exhibit took root
You might wonder how this deeply personal body of work came to be featured in a public gallery.
“I took this quilt to a meeting of the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild, of which I am a member, where Sandy Kunkle spotted it and thought it should be brought to the attention of SafeHouse. She arranged for that to happen, and SafeHouse took it from there,” Klim said.
Klim also wants the Ann Arbor Fiberart Guild to receive recognition. While not related to the Ann Arbor Quilt Guild, the Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild thought Klim’s work should have a wider audience. When a peer saw something resonant, the project took on new life.
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Also, the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild’s longstanding relationship with SafeHouse provided a solid foundation for such collaborations. Members have regularly donated quilts to the center, and as Klim remarks, she made her first donation quilt just this year—coming full circle.
What to expect—and what to look for
At the opening reception on October 13, visitors will likely encounter: Quilted wall panels (some spanning long runs) depicting scenes of trauma, memory, confrontation and ultimately, recovery. Guests can expect to view work with mixed-media elements and a narrative arc.
It’s worth noting that Riverside hosts regular fiber-arts drop-in events (e.g., “Fiber Arts Drop-In Days”)—the gallery is not merely a passive space but one that encourages hands-on engagement.
Looking ahead: what’s next for Klim?
Klim also shared a glimpse of what lies ahead: “I have always wanted to try rug hooking, and recently made my first attempt, using strips of old t-shirts.”
Her work continues to evolve. Future exhibitions will likely feature textile hybrids, fiber sculptures, or mixed-media rug pieces. But the heart of her practice—making space for voice, memory and tactile expression—remains constant.
For anyone in the Ann Arbor / Ypsilanti area, this is a rare opportunity. Mark your calendar for October 13, step into a gallery, and listen—in patches and seams—to a story of survival, reclamation, and the enduring power of cloth.
The Riverside Arts Center is donating the space for the exhibition, a collaboration that made this happen. SafeHouse is also planning to display quilts for sale that members of the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild made. Quilts can also be purchased on the Safehouse website.
Exhibit Hours:
Monday, October 13: 1-4pm
Tuesday, October 14: 10am-1pm
Wednesday, October 15: 1-4pm
Thursday, October 16: 5:30-7:30pm Reception
Friday, October 17: 1-4pm
The exhibit is free to attend.
For more information visit, riversidearts.org/event/safehouse-center-quilt-exhibit/2025-10-13.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
