Words and Images by Jenny Lynn Davis
On Tuesday, May 6, the Bankhead House and Heritage Center held an opening reception to unveil Eye of the Needle, a new exhibit showcasing the intricate, hand-stitched artwork of Lisa Frey Crump.
Presented by the Walker Area Community Foundation, the exhibit is the culmination of years of preparation, creative persistence, and a little gentle persuasion from friends.
“While working on an exhibit a few years ago, we discovered Lisa’s talent and were gobsmacked,” said Paul Kennedy, president of the Foundation, during his welcoming remarks.
Mimi Hudson, Executive Director of the Bankhead House & Heritage Center, saw the full potential of Crump’s work and championed the idea of an exhibit.
“Mimi’s passion made this happen; this has truly become her mission,” Crump said during her speech. “As she calls it, this is my ‘artwork,’ but I just call it ‘my stitching.’”
Crump learned to stitch at age 19 and soon after fell in love with finer, more detailed fabrics thanks to guidance from local craft shop owners.
“I never went back to the simpler cloth I first learned on. It became a passion, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Crump said.
Crump’s pieces are stitched on 28- or 32-count fabric, requiring meticulous focus, so much so that her husband John knows better than to start a conversation mid-stitch.
“Especially if I’m counting!” she laughed.
Though Crump quickly points out the imperfections in her work that others wouldn’t even notice, her dedication to stitching is unmistakable. Some pieces take months. Others, years. The result is a body of work that feels deeply personal.
A few close friends have received stitched gifts over the years. “If you have one, you know that means I love you dearly,” she said.
Kennedy closed the evening with a nod to the exhibit’s broader impact: “That’s what the Bankhead House and Heritage Center is all about – celebrating the magic of Walker County and inspiring the next generation of artists and creatives.”
The Eye of the Needle exhibit will remain on display through August 1. Visitors can view the collection Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on the third Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additional permanent exhibits are available throughout the house, including rooms dedicated to local military history, the Walker County legacy, and famed actress Tallulah Bankhead. WL
