Nebulae: The Universe Unveiled
December 10th – March 9th, 2025
Nebulae: The Universe Unveiled celebrates a remarkable new gift to the Art Museum: six awe-inspiring NASA photographs of deep space, captured by the Webb and Hubble Telescopes. Selected by Mark Munkacsy, President of the Astronomical Society of Southern New England, these images are more than just breathtaking; they are rich visual documents that reveal and contextualize some of the universe’s most profound events, from the birth and death of stars to the echoes of the Big Bang, the ongoing expansion of the cosmos, humanity’s origins, and the search for extraterrestrial life.
At the intersection of art and science, this exhibition presents these celestial images as radiant works of art, framed by contemporary artists’ imaginative explorations of the night sky, deep space, and our place within the cosmos.
Nebulae: The Universe Unveiled also features: Space, an experimental film by Jing Wang and Harvey Goldman; a collection of stunning Northern Lights photography by artist and designer Rosanne Somerson; Rachel Ostrow’s abstract paintings evoking the cosmos’ vast mystery; and intricately embroidered thread paintings by self-taught artist David Poyant. Together, these works invite visitors to journey through the universe’s depths, discovering wonder, science, and beauty.
VEIL NEBULA BY DAVID POYANT
Artist Bio-David Poyant
My name is David Poyant, and I didn’t follow the traditional path to becoming an artist. I am a cobbler by trade, with a background in shoe repair and handcrafted orthotics.
I worked in the trade for 25 years and then completed my professional career in retail. Handcrafted artistry comes in many forms and provided me multiple pathways in work and art throughout my life.
As I approached retirement, I pondered next steps. Always one to be working with my hands, I remembered my mother sitting in her chair knitting, cross stitching, and embroidering. She was always stitching something.
Therefore, with no formal training, I picked up my needles, embroidery threads, and a stretcher at a hobby shop and started sewing. But what do I sew? I began by finding photographers who would allow me to embroider their work and I haven’t stopped stitching since then.
Each thread-paint embroidery is hand stitched on artist canvas using both 1 and 2 strands of embroidery thread and can take up to 60 hours to complete.
I have neither a college degree, nor any experience in advanced art or stitching classes. However, I have always had an eye for design and many experiences in my 68 years of life that inspired me to develop my artwork.
Handcrafting “thread-paint” embroidery is a constant reminder that one can find their passion at any time in life.
For me, it was at the end of a retail career and picking up a thread and needle, not knowing if anyone else besides me would ever see any of my Thread Paintings later in life.
I enjoy seeing the reactions people have when they realize they are not looking at a painting and then see the stitchby- stitch effort that went into creating the one of a kind piece of art.
I invite you to enjoy my Thread Paintings and encourage you to find your passion, whatever it is.