:Vocalo.org

If you've been to a cafe or bar in the Pilsen neighborhood lately you may have run into a group of young women (and sometimes men) knitting and crocheting. "El Stitch Y Bitch" is a knitting circle or sorts founded by Stephanie Manriquez and Thelma Uranga. Below Thelma answers some questions regarding the group.

For more info on the group or to participate, check out their blog: "El Stitch Y Bitch"

Tell us about the first "El Stitch Y Bitch" get together, who'd it come about?

How did you start knitting? What about it caught you're attention?

When the group gets together in public spaces what kind of reactions do you get?

There has to be many memories that people have when it comes to knitting, what are some of those stories that stand out for you?

Aside from the knitting circle, "El Stitch Y Bitch" has participated in other ways with the community, can you tell us more?

The demonstration of how art is in correlation with gentrification in Chicago and how it affects Pilsen in specific. 

Yollocalli Arts Reach was one of 15 groups nationwide that won the prestigious 2009 Coming Up Taller Award. Yollocalli (house of the heart in Nahuatl) is a youth initiative of the National Museum of Mexican Art and serves as an arts education and career-training program for teens and young adults.

 This is an interview with Debbie Garcia (pictured above), an intern at Yollocalli that was chosen to receive the award from First Lady Michelle Obama. We also talked with Vanessa Sanchez, Youth Programs Project Manager, and a past intern of Yollocalli. For information on Yollocalli and their art programs, visit www.yollocalli.org.

Another Chicago group that received the 2009 award, is "Young Chicago Authors", regular contributors to Vocalo.org. Congratulations!

This audio originally aired on "1401", heard Fridays at 6pm on Radio Arte 90.5FM-WRTE.