Protest Banner Lending Library

Email thefabrica.banners@gmail.com to borrow a protest banner.

What is this?

The Fábrica has been making banners for years. We recently heard about artist Aram Han Sifuentes project, the original Protest Banner Lending Library in an article on the Feral Fabric blog;

“The Protest Banner Lending Library is a space for people to gain skills to learn to make their own banners, a communal sewing space where we support each other’s voices, and a place where people can check out handmade banners to use in protests.”

At The Fábrica, we were inspired to make our collectively-created banners available in a similar way and decided to launch our own version of the project.

How does it work?

Our banners are available to borrow for 1 week at a time.
A $50 cash deposit is required. We may keep up to $25 for damage or cleaning.
The borrower is expected to return the banner in approximately the same condition it was in when it was first borrowed.

How to borrow a banner:

Make a reservation. Email us at thefabrica.banners@gmail.com with the following info:
- your name and phone number,
- which banner you’d like to use,
- which dates you’d like to reserve (Note: you must be available to pick up the banner during our regular open hours).
- Try to do this at least a week in advance.
Pick it up. After your reservation has been confirmed, show up at the arranged time. You will need to provide your name and contact info again and pay your $50 cash deposit. You will receive a receipt for your deposit and the banner.
Have fun, but keep the banner safe. See below for care instructions.
Bring it back. Return the banner promptly at the time you arranged. We’ll return your deposit, or keep a little of it if there is damage or if cleaning is required.
Bonus. Consider doing theses things to keep the project going: send us photos of the banner out in the world, bring us a flyer from the event you attended with the banner, send us a story about the event and what it was like to have the banner there, and contribute to our rent and supplies fund so that The Fábrica can continue to operate in the future.

Care Instructions:

Don’t machine wash the banner! There are raw edges and hand stitches that will fray and fall apart with vigorous washing.
Avoid places with smoke or strong smells. Fabrics tend to absorb odors like perfume, incense, and all types of smoke.
If the banner gets wet or damp, hang it up to dry as soon as possible so it doesn’t get moldy or musty.
Fold it up when the banner is not in use.