Stefanie Neuner is a fiber artist creating works to tell the stories of her autistic son and the personal journeys of families living with autism. Look closely at the embellishments and hand-embroidery on her pieces.
How did you get started making fiber art? Why did you choose that medium?
I started making fiber art in graduate school. The repetitive motion of hand stitching is very therapeutic. I like the medium of fiber because it feels like I am mending or fixing things.
Once I claimed fiber as my medium, I started to realize that quilting artists are a very welcoming group. They contribute to many social causes like Quilts of Valor honoring veterans, or making quilts for children living in foster care. I found it easy to align myself with fiber artists.
When was the first time that you remember realizing that you are a creative person?
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My aunt bought me an easel when I was maybe 2. I could barely balance to paint, so forever and a day 😊
What different creative media do you use in your work?
I have started using vintage English paper piecing samples in my work.
These small scraps intrigued me, so I researched different paper-piecing techniques. I wanted to explore the original maker by recreating their work into my work. I felt that it added life to these forgotten pieces.
Finishing these scraps gave me a sense of achievement. Fiber is visceral and fluid from one generation to the next. This repetition gives me a sense of peace
Do you use a sketchbook or journal? How does that help your work develop?
I sketch out ideas and digitally create patterns. I can change the digital designs faster and understand the culmination of the whole piece on the screen before the fabric is cut.
My hand-embroidered pieces or I call them embroidered sketches are drawn directly onto the fabric squares. It takes hours to create the sketches, but I enjoy the process of slow sewing.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
“Plan B” is a crazy quilt that was inspired by an experience of my family’s visit with Fred, our profoundly autistic son, Wednesday May 4th, 2022, as we tried to admit him to the psychiatric ward.
His doctor, and my family agreed that he needed to be admitted because of the reaction he had to a medication switch. We waited 10 hours to see a telehealth doctor on a monitor that was rolled in to virtually meet. During these 10 hours my son was given a B-52 shot. The doctor said she would not admit him because of his lack of toileting, communication, and autistic behavior.
What is your “Plan B”? That is a great question when you have a profoundly disabled person in your life. Each block illustrates some type of plan. Within the quilt, I define the problem and attempt to develop a plan. I believe “Plan B” should include treating disabled individuals with the same level of care as typical individuals. My family and I have experienced our son being treated like a hot potato or someone else’s problem. Whatever your beliefs, these individuals were put here for a reason. https://www.artfieldssc.org/galleries/art/2023/plan-b/231257
Currently I am working on a hand embroidered crazy quilt that dives more into the politics of trying to function in society with a special needs individual that requires an extreme amount of care.
The monetary resources, education of the adults in this individual’s life, and family unit determine the level of help received. The resilience of the caregivers involved in this individual’s life must be to the point of relentlessness. I believe that many individuals in society from politicians to typical families believe these individuals do not exist, or there is an institution for them that is safe and easily attainable to all individuals that qualify. Unfortunately, this is not true, these resources are not readily available and there is not an abundance of choices for these individuals.
Which part of the design process is your favorite? Which part is a challenge for you?
I love to stretch the media of fiber arts in quilting.
I have ideas, but trying to carry out my ideas and adhere to traditional quilting methods can be challenging. For example, I love to combine English paper piecing with collage raw edge appliqué and free-motion quilting, or traditional quilting with modern adaptions.
Combining all these techniques and unifying the design of the quilt can become challenging.
How does your formal art education help your work develop? Does it ever get in the way?
I am an art educator, and I have benefited from some amazing art educators in graduate and undergraduate school. Philip Dunn, Philip Mullen, and Boyd Sanders introduced me to art education with a focus on painting and printmaking in my undergraduate studies. Julia Pfaff taught and continues to mentor me in textiles/fiber art. As a graduate instructor she taught me about quilting, dying, and establishing a body of work.
How has your creativity evolved over the years? What triggered the evolution to new media/kinds of work/ways of working?
When my son, Fred was diagnosed with autism, I became anchored to my house.
Fred is successful in familiar environments with regimented activities. He will become anxious if we stay in new areas and does not move quickly through stores, so I do not travel often or plan long outings. I started sewing to fill my time.
While Fred spent hours on the swing, I would hand sew outside on our glider monitoring him. Fred lives in isolation; he does not interact or know how to have conversations with people.
Instead of scrolling social media for the many hours Fred and I spent together, I got in the habit of filling in my spare time with sewing.
Sewing gives me a sense of accomplishment. I am piecing, mending, and creating something new. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with all the uncontrollable aspects of autism that I needed to control or accomplish something.
I find sewing to be very therapeutic and I feel that even though I have not solved autism, I have succeeded in something.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
I create art to advocate for students with disabilities.
My son is profoundly autistic, and his lack of language and lower mental abilities have created a difficult lifestyle for my family.
If you have a senior member in your family with Alzheimer’s or dementia they may require around the clock care. My son requires this level of care. He is not frail or feeble like older individuals. He is stronger and bigger than I am.
When he gets frustrated, he has a terrible two-year-old tantrum in a 19-year-old body. This led to our journey in a group home placement. Even in a group home we are constantly visiting and helping whenever he has meltdowns.
Our society does not have enough resources in K-12 education, group homes, and the medical community to help these individuals succeed. Many families that try to support a profoundly autistic child are underemployed, and the parents are typically divorced.
My quest to tell my son’s story and advocate for other special needs individuals keeps me motivated to make art. The message of advocation is my motivation.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Paula Kovarik is a free motion quilting artist who said keep on making art and don’t stop because you think you’re doing it wrong. Or in her words, “don’t let the media stop you from the message.”
Where can people see your work?
I have three quilts that will be displayed at the International Quilt Festival in Houston this fall.
They are displayed in three different shows within the festival, Sacred Threads traveling exhibition, Text in Textiles, and small pictorial category. Sacred Threads traveling exhibit will travel around the United States for the next three years.
Studio Art Quilters Associates or SAQA picked Red Zone a quilt with a portrait of my son to travel globally for the next 3 years with the exhibition Red Color in Context exhibit. This quilt is currently touring in Australia.
I also have many quilts displayed in SAQA’s virtual exhibits. The latest virtual exhibit is Conversations in Mad Hatters. Conversations in Mad Matters (SAQA Virtual Gallery) | SAQA – Studio Art Quilt Associates
Interview posted August 2024
Browse through more inspiring art quilts on Create Whimsy.