Make It Sew: The Backus Museum will present the global traveling exhibition StitchPunk
Fort Pierce, FL – November 18, 2024
The A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery will present StitchPunk, a global traveling exhibition of works by more than two dozen international artists using the materials and techniques of quilting to create astonishing contemporary works with an artfully punk sensibility. The exhibition focuses on the funky combinations possible when the imagination joins and embroiders past, present, and future in decidedly unconventional ways. The exhibition will be on view at the Backus Museum from November 22 through January 5, 2025. The Museum is located at 500 North Indian River Drive in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce. There will be an opening reception on Friday, December 6, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.
StitchPunk asks the viewer to imagine an existence where you pull one string and reality unravels. Twenty-seven artists from the U.S. (including three from Florida), United Kingdom, France, and Canada have interpreted the riotous creativity and far-out fusions of –punk (visual genres such as Steampunk, Biopunk, Atompunk and more) to tell their own distinctive stories using fabric as their medium. In their hands, texture, stitching, stuffing, and more add a depth that cannot be conveyed through two-dimensional paintings or photographs. The dedication, skill, and unique perspectives of these creators form a rich tapestry of human expression. StitchPunk stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of sewing and the boundless possibilities it holds for artistic expression and social commentary.
“Fiber and textile artists are having a well-deserved moment everywhere,” says J. Marshall Adams, Executive Director. “In recent months there have been significant exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian, Barbican Centre, and more. The long history of weaving, fabric, and handwork makes it perfect for reimagining into a vibrant artform. These featured artists are seizing that moment with a punk aesthetic – to pierce, join, and embellish multiple influences into something new, striking, funny, provocative, genre-bending, and ultimately creative.”
The Opening Reception for StitchPunk is Friday, December 6, from 6:00-8:00 pm (remarks at 6:30 pm). The Opening Reception is free of charge to Museum Members. The charge for not-yet members is $20, or they can join in advance or at the door and enjoy free access all year.
This exhibition was organized by Studio Art Quilt Associates, Inc. (SAQA). Established over thirty-five years ago in Hebron, Connecticut, SAQA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the art quilt: “a creative visual work that is layered and stitched or that references this form of stitched layered structure.” The organization’s vision is that the art quilt is universally respected as a fine art medium. SAQA’s core values are: excellence, innovation, integrity, and inclusion.
The exhibition travel schedule is as follows:
New England Quilt Museum, Lowell, Massachusetts: April 30 – July 13 2024
Festival of Quilts, Birmingham, United Kingdom: August 1 – 5 2024
- E. Backus Museum & Gallery, Fort Pierce, Florida: November 22 – January 5 2025
Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas: February 13 – May 4 2026
Grants Pass Museum of Art, Grants Pass, Oregon: May – July 2026
Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum, Temple, Texas: October 9 2026 – January 16 2027
ALL DATES AND PROGRAMMING SUBJECT TO CHANGE; PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR ANY UPDATES OR CANCELLATIONS.
About the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery
Since its founding in 1960 and the first day the doors opened in 1961, the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery has been a center and catalyst for creativity and culture in our region. The Museum houses the nation’s largest public presentation of artwork by Florida’s preeminent painter, A.E. “Bean” Backus (1906-1990), and also continues its more than sixty-year tradition of exhibiting and celebrating the paintings of the original Florida Highwaymen, who got their start here. In addition, the Museum organizes and hosts changing exhibitions from artists of regional, national and international acclaim. The Backus Museum was recognized as the 2024 Best Art Gallery by Hometown News; 2022 Best of the Best Community Choice Award for Best Art Gallery; and the 2021 Best Tourist Attraction – 2018 Best Museum / Best of the Treasure Coast by the readers of Indian River Magazine.
Schedule: Regular Hours Wednesday – Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM; Sunday, 12 Noon to 4 PM. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is $5 per person; AARP, AAA, and Veterans with appropriate ID receive a $2 discount. Students with school ID, children under 18, active duty military, and current members are always free. Visitors are asked to follow the latest public health guidance for the safety and comfort of guests, staff, and volunteers.