One of the oldest art forms in the world will be exhibited at the DePaul University Art Museum, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., April 6 through May 25.

“Needle Art: A Postmodern Sewing Circle” will pay tribute to the early craft of needlework by presenting 50 objects by artists who use forms of traditional needlework materials, tools and techniques to create powerful and expressive works of art.

An opening reception for the show will be held April 6 from 5:30 p.m. until 8 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.

Using the needle – an ancient and universal tool – the artists in the show employ methods handed down through countless generations and, in doing so, forge connections with their own historical pasts. Some use the sewing machine, a tool that merges artistic creation with commercial production and precision. Other artists are laptop sewers, accomplishing their work stitch by stitch. The artists in this postmodern sewing circle use familiar techniques, such as embroidery, quilting, beadwork and upholstery, in a very contemporary way. Where the methods are more traditional, the materials – Styrofoam, cornhusks and even baseballs – are not.

“The work ranges from the personal and nostalgic to the political, feminist and simply funny,” explained Louise Lincoln, director of the museum. “The objects are a bridge, taking us from what we thought we knew about needle art – as ‘women’s work’ or as a minor art – to an appreciation of it as a medium with enormous artistic potential.”

“Needle Art: A Postmodern Sewing Circle” is curated by Carrie Lederer, curator of exhibitions at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek, Calif. The exhibition is organized by the Bedford Gallery and toured by ExhibitsUSA.

The DePaul Art Museum is free and open to the public. Museum hours are: Mon. through Thurs., 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat. and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. For more information about “Needle Art: A Postmodern Sewing Circle” or future exhibitions of the DePaul Art Museum, call 773/325-7506 or visit the Web site: museums.depaul.edu/artwebsite.

Editors’ Note: J-PEG images from “Needle Art: A Postmodern Sewing Circle” are available upon request.