After the Last Harvest: The Lake Apopka Farmworker Memorial Quilt Project

Amidst the bustle and strength, hardship and triumph, lies the heart of every community.  Some people keep it bottled up, hoping that time will take care of it all.  Others decide to move away, hoping that with distance, they will find new life.  And others embrace what they have, the life they have lived, and whatever the future holds.

To the Former Lake Apopka Farmworkers, this is the path they have chosen.

Tuesday, April 3^rd, 2012, marked a day for celebration and remembrance.  It marks a change of thought in our society, and a commitment that the stories and history of the Apopka Community will never be forgotten.  April 3^rd marked the opening of After the Last Harvest: The Lake Apopka Farmworker Memorial Quilt Project at City Hall in Orlando, Florida.  This two-month exhibit is the first time that the Lake Apopka Farmworker Memorial Quilts have been shown for a pro-longed period in a gallery setting.  It is a statement that while injustices still occur beneath our dinner tables, the issues these men, women, and children face are coming to the fore-front of public thought.

Made possible through the generosity of the Florida Humanities Council, After the Last Harvest is also the first time the Lake Apopka Farmworker Memorial Quilts have been joined by the “Last Harvest” photo-documentary collection, on loan from Crealde School of Art.  By joining these collections, we are able to display the entire story and history of the Lake Apopka Farmworkers, beginning at a time when farming was king, and ending with the lasting results of prolonged pesticide exposure.  

Please, take the time to visit After the Last Harvest and see up-close, the realities of farmwork and its long-lasting effects.  The breath-taking folk-art pieces and photography, will leave you wanting to see more, learn more, and experience what it really means to be a Lake Apopka Farmworker.  

After the Last Harvest: The Lake Apopka Farmworker Memorial Quilt Project runs through May 27^th, 2012 at City Hall in Orlando, Florida.  The address is 400 S. Orange Ave, Orlando, 32801.  The Terrace Gallery is open Monday through Friday 8:00 am until 9:00 pm, and Saturday and Sunday noon until 5:00 pm.