The Sit & Tell Project: Connecting communities through pulling up a chair and sharing our stories. 

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is proud to be one of the sites associated with the Sit and Tell Project – a program that is being put together by AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists) Toledo and the Toledo Arts Commission.

On World Storytelling Day, as many people as possible tell and listen to stories in as many languages, and at as many places as possible, during the same day and night. Participants tell each other about their events in order to share stories and inspiration, to learn from each other and create international contacts.

World Storytelling Day, story tellers of any kind show up at designated sites in the city to tell their story. Stories have no time limit or format, they can be as brief as a sentence, or a longer story. You may write it in advance (we recommend it!) or you can deliver your story as a poetry slam, a short story, a poem, whatever you feel comfortable with that communicates your message. We want to hear your perspectives, your stories of strong women in your lives as they relate to our home here in Toledo.  Your stories will be recorded and used as springboards for the visual artists.

Using a story from one of our storytellers, visual artists will create a work inspired by or based on that storytellers story. Final artwork will be reproduced in high quality by MTS seating using state of the art reproduction printing and substrates to apply the artwork to one of 100 chairs, creating a permanent display on the chair.

The National Museum of the Great Lakes is honored to host Sit & Tell during World Storytelling Day – and to be a temporary home to some of the completed chairs.