About Me
I started my quilting journey during the 2020 pandemic. I quickly found my voice making art quilts that tell stories about issues that concern me. I have exhibited my work in international exhibitions and have won local and international awards for my quilts. I am a member of Studio Art Quilts Associates (SAQA) and an exhibiting member of the Soul Stories textile art collective featuring internationally-recognized textile artists from around the world.
I currently create quilts that tell stories about our planet and the world we’re leaving to future generations. Through a child’s perspective, I explore the gap between innocence and the difficult reality of climate change. My work is a way to express concern for the planet while creating something tangible, with meaning and message 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:
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In the air
I was a seven-time World Champion in Freestyle Skydiving, an event involving performing gymnastics and dance-type moves while in freefall. I loved pioneering the sport and invented hundreds of new moves. Those adventures led to international recognition, stunt work in film and television, and numerous prime-time TV feature segments.
winddance.com → -
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.
dalestuart.com → -
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.
dalestuartfineart.com →
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.