I create quilts that tell stories about our planet and the world we’re leaving to future generations. My work often explores a child’s perspective as they face the consequences of climate change and try to make sense of it. Children bring innocence, honesty, and curiosity, yet there is a painful gap between what they can grasp and the reality unfolding around them.
I enjoy the challenge of designing scenes that highlight this tension between a child’s simple, endearing questions and the harsh truths they are witnessing. Quilting has become my way of expressing concern for the planet and creating something tangible, with a message and meaning in every piece.
Before turning to quilting, I pursued aerospace engineering, psychology, athletics, and the arts — chapters of my life that continue to influence my creative perspective today.
Here’s a glimpse of some of those other adventures:
In the air – I became a seven-time World Champion in Freestyle Skydiving and won the 1997 World Games. I loved pioneering the sport with hundreds of new moves, and those adventures led to international recognition, stunt work in film and television, and numerous prime-time TV feature segments. (Visit winddance.com for more.)
In my professional work and studies – I hold two Ph.D.s: one in Aerospace Engineering from M.I.T. and one in Clinical Psychology. My aerospace research earned fellowships and international awards. Later, I built a psychology practice and became a nationally recognized speaker on the social and emotional needs of gifted individuals. (Visit dalestuart.com for more.)
Behind the camera – I studied photography at M.I.T., beginning with large-format film before moving into digital tools. A masters-level program in fine art photography awakened my love of storytelling through images, and now that same eye for composition and meaning shapes my current works in quilting art. (Visit dalestuartfineart.com for more.)
It may look like a mix of very different pursuits, but each one naturally led to the next and shaped me along the way. All of them brought me to where I am now — ready for this adventure in quilting.