As an artist and writer, I am primarily interested in the overlooked and underinvestigated. I seek out forgotten materials and marginal moments as my raw material, and work to transform these into new narratives.

My practice spans visual art and nonfiction writing, primarily journalism and essay. I also teach.

I’m currently based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
My email address is alison at verycuriousmind.com

Visual Art:
I work in a diverse range of media, each technique a unique language for exploring the genuine and the absurd.

I am drawn to materials with previous lives, finding my muse and creative collaborators in discarded cross-stitches, vintage handkerchiefs, and fragments of ephemera. My work is an invitation to look closer, to find humor and wonder in the overlooked and mundane.

The fiber work I create has a tactile, three-dimensional quality, with embroidery and other textile techniques creating depth and movement. Individual stitches and color fragments come together to create larger, more fluid compositions. I blur the boundaries between traditional embroidery, textile art, and abstract painting. I labor over intricate details that invite close examination while also creating a striking visual impact from a distance.

My work been exhibited around the United States, and held in private collections around the world.

Writing:
I started my career writing about agriculture, the height of exotica for this native New Yorker. Since then, I've done my thing for all kinds of publications. My portfolio includes coverage of business, politics, travel, health, science, ideas. The common thread has been my deep curiosity about the world and how it works. (Hence, the name of this website). I've won awards, received fellowships, contributed to anthologies, wrote a couple of books.

Some titles I’ve held and honors I’ve received:

I was a contributing editor at Inc. magazine, and after a bit of break, am back to contributing there again. Here’s my Inc. archive.
I was also editor-at-large at American Demographics magazine.
Additionally, I was named a New York Times Professional Fellow and a National Press Foundation Fellow.
My articles have won awards from the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the American Society of Business Press Editors.
I've given presentations at writing conferences including AWP, TBEX and ASJA.

publications I've contributed to include:
American Archaeology, American Style, The Atlantic, BBC Travel, Boston Magazine, Business Traveler, BusinessWeek, The Chicago Tribune, The Christian Science Monitor, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Continental, Experience, Fast Company, Glamour, Huffington Post, Ladies’ Home Journal, Luxist, Men's Journal, The Millions, Money, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Premier Traveler, Psychology Today, Reason, Robb Report, Sierra Magazine, The Smart Set, The Street, The Toronto Star, The Travel Channel, US Air magazine, USA Weekend, The Washington Post, Working Mother, Worth, Yankee, Yoga Journal.

I started my career writing books, and am the proud author of Americans at Play, which is about trends in outdoor recreation and travel and Best of Health, which is about trends in health. (both from New Strategist). I’ve also had work anthologized, including in Best Women’s Travel Writing,

N.B. Some Pieces were published under a previous last name. I regret the error.

Other Details:
In terms of official education, I have a B.A. in Political Science from the State University of New York, College at Cortland. I also studied at The Art Student’s League, School of Visual Arts, Fashion Institute of Technology, among others.

Fun fact: Once upon a time, I launched and ran a jewelry company.

Words & Art by Alison J. Stein