The Hockaday Museum of Art is proud to host a national traveling show entitled Piecing Together a Changing Planet: Climate Change in America's National Parks July 23 through September 12, 2015. This juried show of twenty-six art quilts created by 22 Florida artists debuted at Biscayne National Park's Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery on December 5, 2014 and will be shown around the United States at only nine more locations.

The Hockaday was selected as one of the show's venues due to its proximity to Glacier National Park and is honored to join others in spreading the word about the effects of climate change. Yale University has been featuring Piecing Together a Changing Planet on their "Climate Connections" radio program and has aired two stories nationally. The White House has used the exhibition as an example of how the National Park Service is providing climate change education.

Piecing Together a Changing Planet highlights a few of the many ways that America's 401 National Parks are being impacted by climate change, water pollution, air pollution and other human-caused phenomena. The artworks were all created by members of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), a 3000-member national organization dedicated to promoting the art quilt through education, exhibitions, professional development, documentation, and publications. Far from utilitarian quilts traditionally used as bed coverings, art quilts focus on aspects not only of stitching and piecing, but also of layering, "thread-painting"and graphic design. The resultant pieces are often literally and figuratively three-dimensional.

Maya Schonenberger, the exhibit's curator, said that "the artists' goal was to help open people's eyes to the beauty of nature that surrounds them, and share their concern for its loss." Melani Brewer, one of the exhibiting artists, hopes that "our art will serve as a call to action to for viewers to take steps to protect our planet."

"Stories of how artists have played a crucial role in environmental protection are legion," said Gary Bremen, a park ranger working at Biscayne National Park who helped coordinate the exhibit. "The arts convey beauty, fragility and urgency in ways that touch the heart and soul, thus opening the mind as well."

The opening reception for Piecing Together a Changing Planet will be held on Thursday, July 30, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Admission is free to the event. Throughout the exhibit, visitors may learn more about the exhibition by taking one of the docent-guided tours held Thursdays at 10:30 AM and Saturdays at 1:00 PM (included with guest admission). The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The Hockaday Museum of Art is located in the cultural district of downtown Kalispell at 302 Second Ave East. It is housed in a 1904 Carnegie Library building that appears on the National Register of Historic Places. The Museum is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, open year-round, Tues-Sat from 10am-5pm. A wheelchair accessible entry and elevator are provided. For more information, please visit www.HockadayMuseum.org or call 406-755-5268.

High resolution photos available upon request.

Summarized Listings

Piecing Together a Changing Planet: Climate Change in America's National Parks
July 23 - September 12, 2015
Tuesday - Saturday, 10AM - 5PM
Admission: Adults/$5, Seniors/$4, College/$2, K-12/Free, Members/Free

Opening Reception for Piecing Together a Changing Planet: Climate Change in America's National Parks
Thursday, July 30, 2015, 5-7PM
Free Admission