January 5 – May 3, 2026

StitchPunk, organized by the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA), challenged artists to reimagine the world through an alternate, extraordinary timeline. Inspired by steampunk—a science fiction genre and visual aesthetic that blends Victorian-era design and industrial, steam-powered technology with futuristic fantasy—the exhibit invited makers to explore speculative realities through fiber art.

Artists were encouraged to imagine everyday objects transformed by alternate technologies: What might a refrigerator, clock, or lawn mower look like if powered by steam? Who inhabits a crumbling metropolis sharply divided between privilege and poverty, where police drones patrol overhead and neon lights pierce the thick, polluted air? Participants explored visions of human bodies merged with devices, worlds shared with sentient machines or other life forms, and futures shaped by advancing science and technology. Central questions emerged: Will innovation liberate us from daily drudgery—or bind us more tightly to global corporate control?

Drawing from a wide range of speculative subgenres including cyberpunk, steampunk, dieselpunk, biopunk, atompunk, clockpunk, and nanopunk—artists translated these imagined futures into richly textured quilted works.

The pieces in this exhibit were juried by Cheryl “Muppin” Sleboda, a nationally recognized, award-winning fiber artist and quilter. An expert in fabric manipulation, Sleboda is the owner of Sew Much Cosplay®, a costume and cosplay company dedicated to connecting costumers with the broader sewing industry. Her work is deeply influenced by pop culture, comics, and film, which inform her quilts, artwork, and costume design.

SAQA is dedicated to promoting the art quilt and the artists who create them. To learn more about SAQA and the artists represented in this exhibition, visit www.saqa.art.

This exhibit is sponsored in part by the Caprock Art Quilters, a fiber artist networking group for SAQA members living in West Texas and Eastern New Mexico. The group holds quarterly meetings in Lubbock. Learn more at SAQACaprock Facebook Group.