Pat Musick: Our Fragile Home Exhibition on view at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center

Musick was married to U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Gerald P. (Jerry) Carr, one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966, and the commander of Skylab 4. Their life together was the subject of the award-winning film The Artist & The Astronaut, which had its Connecticut premiere at the SM&NC this past May, and will be shown again in an encore screening on March 8 with the artist in attendance.

While at a United Nations Symposium on Earth Day in 1990, Musick was deeply affected by the answers that astronauts from six different countries gave when asked what they thought when looking down upon Earth from space for the first time. Despite speaking in their own languages, they all used the same words: Fragile, Beauty, Protect, Steward, Sustain, Harmony, Nurture, Balance.

Musick expresses this remarkable moment through many of the pieces that will be exhibited at the SM&NC. “I had tears in my eyes because I couldn’t believe that people from different countries with different backgrounds would see our earth and all have the same visual concept,” she said.

“We are thrilled and honored to present the astonishing work of Pat Musick, whom we first met last year at our premiere screening of The Artist & The Astronaut,” said Melisssa H. Mulrooney, CEO of the SM&NC. “Pat’s work is a masterful blend of artistry and storytelling, which we can’t wait to share with the community at the Stamford Museum.”

“This exhibition presents Pat Musick’s work over three decades,” said Roanne Wilcox, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions at the SM&NC. “During this time, she was intensely focused on capturing both the delicacy and tenacity of the earth while expressing its precious wonder and beauty. We are captivated by how her art reflects her lived experience as a witness to both nature and history.”

Musick first knew she would become an artist as a child, closely watching the intricate beadwork of a family housekeeper who was Navajo, and later attending USC on an art scholarship. She also holds a master’s and PhD from Cornell University. Her work has been permanently acquired or exhibited by more than 50 museums and public spaces, including Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas and The Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University.