Rebecca Shewmaker visited Big Bend National Park several times in the last 25 years. As a native Texan, she is fascinated by the sky island of the Chisos Mountains and the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert. Containing over 800,000 acres and located 200 miles from a major airport, Big Bend is vast and remote. It is a place of artistic pilgrimage where Shewmaker discovers beauty manifested in colorful rocks, thorny plants, and the ever-changing sky.

This series is based on her latest trip to Big Bend in January 2023. After hiking in the park for three weeks, Shewmaker returned to her studio and worked for nine months making these "threadpaintings." Using both a sewing machine and hand embroidery, Shewmaker’s creative process gives her a sense of calm similar to the peace she experiences while walking within these places.

Shewmaker uses sewing and embroidery techniques to create landscape paintings from fabric and thread. She holds a BA in Art History and Visual Arts from Rice University (2006) and MFA from Texas Woman’s University (2018).

Following the opening reception, the exhibit will be on view through March 30.