The Mills Gallery, in conjunction with Second Reformed Church of Pella, will host the Shower of Stoles Project (SOSP) from Sept. 19-23.
The exhibit includes over a thousand items that represent the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people of faith from 32 denominations and traditions, six countries and three continents.
The SOSP was founded in 1996 by Martha Juillerat, a Presbyterian minister in Missouri who faced the threat of being defrocked by the church after coming out. In an effort to show the church the number of GLBT people active in their congregations, Jullierat and her partner asked friends to send stoles to be included as part of a display. They received an overwhelming amount of support and eventually turned the stoles into a travelling exhibit.
The exhibit in Pella will feature 50 stoles, all of which include stories or prayers from the sender. At a special gallery opening on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m., Central students will read from the stories and prayers. After the display at the Mills Gallery, the collection will be moved to Second Reformed Church until the end of September.
The Mills Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. but will hold special hours until 9 p.m. on Sept. 22. For more information on the display, visit www.welcomingresources.org/sosp.htm