One ocean, 45 artists: International art quilt group exhibit probes the Pacific

The Pratt Museum in partnership with Studio Art Quilt Associates is pleased to announce the premiere of Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth at the Pratt Museum from October 9 to December 19.

Created as a group exhibit to shine a light on the issues facing the Pacific Ocean today, Shifting Tides is a collection of work by 45 artists chosen from the seven Pacific-facing regions of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). An international organization that promotes the quilt as an art form, SAQA has a history of inviting artists to explore topical, sometimes controversial topics. With this latest show, the organization’s west-coast members explore the earth’s largest ecosystem.

From their strikingly different vantage points—from Southern California northward to Western Canada and Alaska, plus Hawaii—artists from a range of backgrounds were asked to express their concerns and feelings about the Pacific. “Merely because we live in this part of the world, we as individuals are part of the Pacific ecosystem. On a daily basis we may not recognize the changes that are happening,  but they are of vital importance to our world,” write Georgia French and Sonja Campbell, co-chairs of the exhibit planning committee. “We were stunned with the variety and emotional intensity of their responses, as well as with the beauty and graphic impact of their work.”

The 45 works range widely in content and technique, drawing on realism, abstract, and nonrepresentational depictions. The pieces on display were chosen from more than 160 submissions for SAQA artists. Curated by renowned textile artist, Ann Johnston, the exhibit offers a variation of style and context about the plight of oceans and the communities they support. “The topic demands a passion we all feel, and the quilts dealt with the subject and the passion in many different ways; all of them hit me as having merit and value,” explains Johnson. “The intention of the exhibit was not only to choose good pieces but also to include a representative range of habitats and issues in reference to our Pacific ecosystem. I also wanted to include a range of design approaches and construction techniques. I think the resulting exhibit is a showcase of art that will enlighten the viewers about quilts and encourage exploration of solutions to one of our most anguishing ecological problems.”

Whether you want to learn more about the issues plaguing the Pacific Ocean, crave a forum that amplifies your concerns, or just want to immerse yourself in images of its beauty, Shifting Tides: Convergence in Cloth promises to deliver. And if you haven’t experienced the artistry and power of this genre, Shifting Tides is an unforgettable entrée.

This exhibit will be on display at the Pratt Museum from October 9 – December 19. Bring your cellphone to enjoy an interactive call-by-cell experience featuring audio from all of the participating artists!

In conjunction with Shifting Tides, the Pratt is excited to offer new fall programming:

The Pratt Museum reopened on Thursday, July 9, with a new special exhibit: Entangled: Exploring natural history collections from Kachemak Bay. 

“This exhibit allows us to share some of our favorite things from the Pratt’s permanent collections that you may have never seen before,” said Curator Savanna Bradley, “and hopefully inspires everyone to share or contemplate their own collection stories.”

Entangled brings together artistic whimsy and the study of natural history. The family-friendly exhibit invites museum-goers to consider and question the origins of natural history collecting for individuals and museums in the Western tradition over time. It also explores how our baseline understandings, such as how we practice culture and what we notice about our environment, are shifting. The exhibit was co-curated by Pratt Museum Naturalist-in-Residence Marilyn Sigman and Curator Savanna Bradley and draws from the permanent collections of the Pratt Museum.

The Pratt Museum is offering a variety of virtual and in-person summer programming around the theme of Collecting, including First Friday programs, participatory Zoom events, and a radio series. For more information, see the Events calendar, contact the museum, or visit our social media.

“We are excited to reopen our doors to the community with this exhibit, and we are so grateful for the support and patience of our members, friends, and guests,” said Pratt Museum Executive Director, Jennifer Gibbins. “We hope to inspire visitors of all ages to continue to be curious about the natural world and to enjoy learning, sharing stories, and connecting with others.”

#MuseumFromHome: Download these two coloring pages to enjoy Entangled from your own home!

Entangled will be on display at the Pratt Museum July 9 – September 26.

The Pratt Museum is partnering with Homer Council on the Arts to present the 2020 Jubilee Festival of Student Art! Student works submitted through HCOA’s office will be distributed between HCOA and the Pratt. View the amazing work that our community’s youth are creating at both locations!