Bio: Michael R. Stevenson, Phd, is a 4th generation quilter whose art practice developed as his retirement from over 4 decades of university life drew near. Although a departure from the traditional quilts created by his foremothers, his art practice creates opportunities for him to share his passion for the well-crafted textiles he has collected from near and far for decades. He gravitates toward improvisational piecing and is fond of mixing vivd colors and bold patterns. He is drawn to the impermanence of fiber and the manner in which community and culture are woven into cloth. Because of their evocative power, he often incorporates vintage textiles and those which derive from world cultures with long textile traditions. His work has been exhibited in juried and invited shows and festivals in Indiana, Illinois, Maine and Florida and in virtual exhibitions. Artist’s Statement: “I was reared in an environment where men didn't sew (or make art, for that matter). They tended crops, raised livestock, fixed stuff, opened stubborn jar lids, and lifted heavy things. Nonetheless, I grew up experiencing the warmth and comfort a lovingly-crafted quilt can provide and developed a deep appreciation for the artistry and skill traditional quilting requires. Over the years, I have gathered textiles as mementos of loved ones and meaningful places and always hoped to find a way to share this passion. When I moved to rural Maine, I met a neighbor who is an accomplished fiber artist. While admiring her work, I wistfully mentioned my longstanding interest in learning the art. Without hesitation, she said, “I’ll teach you!” and the rest, as they say, is history. I hope my improvisational fine art quilts bring a measure of pleasure, if not comfort, to the people whose lives they touch. If my practice also leads people to meaningful insights, all the better.” Honors and Accolades Work in Progress: Exchange Labs Micro-Support Grant Indiana Arts Commission January-May 2026 Gail Cook Karges Memorial Purchase Award: 48th Mid-States Craft Exhibition Evansville Museum of Arts, History, and Science December 2025 Link for Exhibition catalog: https://publuu.com/flip-book/284808/2285059 Merit Award: 71st Annual Fall Juried Show Link Art Gallery Paris, IL October 10-November 7, 2025 Second and Third place, Mixed Media division: 17th Annual River City Art Association Juried Art Exhibit Terre Haute IN August 2025 Honorable Mention: Fiber Art Juried Show Gaslight Art Colony & Gallery Marshall IL July 19-Sept 13 2025 2023 Emerging Artist (1 of 15 out of over 200) Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, Tampa Florida Artist in Residence (with Rebecca Levine Quigley) Artist Studio, The Art Ovations Hotel, Sarasota Florida July 31-Aug 6, 2023 Artist in Residence (with Rebecca Levine Quigley & Ellen S. Goldberg) “The Beauty of Inflections and Innuendoes” Gaze Gallery, Sarasota Florida January - February 2024 Artist in Residence “Global Rhythms” Artist Studio, The Art Ovations Hotel, Sarasota Florida July 2-July 8, 2024 Juried and Invited Shows Dec 13, 2025-Feb 22, 2026 48th Mid-State Craft Exhibition (juried) Evansville Museum Evansville, IN Oct 10-Nov 7, 2025 71st Annual Fall Juried Show Link Art Gallery Paris, IL Oct 24, 2025-Jan 16, 2026 smallART2025 Exhibition (juried) Arts Illiana Terre Haute IN Sept 25 - Oct 31 2025 River City Art Association featured artist (invited) Vigo County Public Library Terre Haute IN Aug 2025 17th Annual River City Art Association Juried Art Exhibit Terre Haute IN July 19-Sept 13 2025 Fiber Art Juried Show Gaslight Art Colony & Gallery Marshall IL April 19-July 5 2025 CARE: Givers and Receivers SPAACES (invited) Sarasota FL Dec 7-Jan 13, 2024 Small Works (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg FL Nov 7-Dec 12, 2024 Threading the Needle (juried) CF Webber Gallery College of Central Florida Ocala FL Oct 29-Dec 2, 2024 Anything Goes (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg FL Oct 5-26, 2024 Perfectly Square (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg FL June 16 - July 18, 2024 Art With Pride 2024 (juried) Lexow Gallery Sarasota FL Jan - Feb 2024 Florida CraftArt Members show (juried) St Petersburg, FL Jan 2024-Dec 2025 Awakening (juried) SAQA Florida Region Exhibit Jan 12-Feb 7, 2024 Venice Visual Art Center Venice, FL March 8 & 9, 2024 Southwest Harbor Quilt Guild Show Charlotte Harbor Event and Convention Center Punta Gorda, FL May 13-May 24, 2024 Punta Gorda Visual Art Center Punta Gorda, FL June 3-July 26, 2024 Arts Center Citrus County Hernando/Inverness, FL Jan 10- Mar 14, 2025 Elliot Museum Stuart, FL April 1-April 30, 2025 St Pete Opera Company St Petersburg, FL May 10-June 15, 2025 Osceola Arts Kissimmee, FL Nov 16, 2023- Jan 7, 2024 Small Works (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg, FL August 3-October 2, 2023 Happy: Art that makes you smile (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg FL July 2023 Arts+Causes—Peace Love Art (juried) Online www.artsandcauses.org May-June 2023 ART with PRIDE (juried) Lexow Gallery Sarasota, FL Jan 2023 Big Works (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg, FL Dec 2022 Small Works (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg, FL Nov-Dec 2022 Creative Minds (juried) The ArtLofts St Petersburg, FL Nov-Dec 2022 Feature artist (invited) Creative Liberties Sarasota, FL Sept 7-30, 2022 Create (juried) ArtCenter Manatee Bradenton, FL July 9 – 31, 2022 Color Vibes (juried) The ArtLofts St. Petersburg, FL May 2022 Feature artist (invited) Creative Liberties Sarasota, FL May 7-June 27, 2022 Peace + Love + Pride (juried) Five Deuces Galleria St Petersburg, FL October 2020 2020 Yarmouth Art Festival (juried) (online due too COVID19) Yarmouth ME Sept 1- Oct 30, 2021 Fiber in Form (invited) Maine Fiberarts Topsham, ME June 2020 Art2020 (25th annual juried show) The Harlow Hallowell, ME (hosted online due to the COVID19 pandemic) Dec 6, 2019-Jan 4, 2020 Show of Hands (juried) The Harlow Hallowell, ME Nov 29-Dec 28, 2019 Heart Work (invited) Maine Fiberarts Topsham, ME