National Scrollathon
Ann Arbor District Library
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 2025

Collaboration with 86 participants

Home, 2025. Collaborative Masterwork created with 86 participants at the Ann Arbor District Library during the National Scrollathon in Michigan. Fiber, rubber bands, pins, ink, glue, paint, and wood. 60 × 36 × 1 in.

Steven and William Ladd launched the National Scrollathon in Michigan at the Ann Arbor District Library, marking Michigan's contribution to America’s Cultural Project and the national goal of Uniting America. This expansive, nationwide collaboration will culminate in 2026 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States—the Semiquincentennial.

On August 10, 2025, 86 participants from across Michigan engaged in sessions where they created individual artworks expressing their personal stories, contributed to a Collaborative Masterwork—a legacy artwork representing Michigan for the Semiquincentennial—and had their photographic portraits created as part of the initiative. The program concluded with the unveiling of Home, the Collaborative Masterwork, which was installed at the Ann Arbor District Library alongside a Portrait Mural and a Signature Plate bearing the names of all participants.

Rooted in the belief that every human being has creative potential and that there is power in coming together and working in community, Scrollathon was founded by artist-brothers Steven and William Ladd in 2006. Partnering with hundreds of stakeholders and institutions, Scrollathon has since engaged more than 10,000 participants nationwide.

The National Scrollathon extends this mission on a monumental scale, uniting people of diverse ages, backgrounds, and abilities across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and five U.S. territories. This unprecedented initiative will culminate in 2026 with a historic national commemoration of art, community, and collaboration for America’s 250th birthday.

Portrait Mural featuring participants of the National Scrollathon in Michigan, 2025.

Community Groups
African American Cultural & Historical Museum
Byte Club, AADL Fan Club
Coolidge-Wagner Anthology of Recorded Poetry
Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library
Jim Toy Community Center
Jewish Family Services Ann Arbor
MITAI Michigan Taiwanese-American Institute
PALMA
Peace Neighborhood Center

Home, detail

Signature Plate bearing the names of 86 participants of the National Scrollathon in Michigan, 2025. Archival paper, ink, 8 ½ × 11 in.

Sponsors
This Scrollathon was made possible through the generous support of the Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library.

Special Thanks
With deep appreciation to Eli Neiburger, Sherlonya Zobel, Samantha Root, Aaron Bush, Emma Hansen, and the team at the Ann Arbor District Library.

Acknowledgments
Gratitude to the Scrollathon team, National Scrollathon Interns and Fellows, Timothy Lewis and Babette Husson, Charles and Barbara Ladd, Mari and Gary Teeter, Claude Skelton and Gina Falcone Skelton, and the team at Lowenstein Sandler LLP.