About the Artist

Bec Prior

Is a fiber artist living and working out of Oakland

bringing color, texture, and bold statements to the bay area with her hand-crafted works of art and creative community projects.

Art Background

Bec Prior attended the San Francisco Art Institute from 2017-2020 with a focus in drawing and ceramics. Though their arts education was cut short by the pandemic and eventual closure of the institute, they had the opportunity to display their work in the on-campus Deigo Rivera gallery, and also worked as a teaching assistant for the summer pre-college program as an undergrad.

Teaching Background

From 2021-2026 Bec was better known as "Teacher Becca" in the preschool classrooms where she taught. Bec adored getting to use their art training and experience to empower young children in their creative endeavors and overall development.

Connecting with families, using found materials to in experimental ways, and appreciating the visual storytelling of picture books have all been sources of inspiration in Bec's artistic practice.

Working in schools has also allowed Bec to facilitate community gatherings and projects beyond just the students, but also bringing parents, neighbors, and local workers together for opportunities of learning and connection.

Quilting in the Community

Becca loves bringing the joy of quilting out into the community for people of all ages and skills levels to enjoy.

Sometimes that means bringing materials to protests and other local events and letting passers-by make their mark on a collaborative quilt to commemorate the event.

Sometimes it entails leading classes or other groups where each person designs their own square, to be pieced together into a quilt that represents those relationships.

Bec believes that everyone deserves access to the joys of fibers arts, regardless of their income, age, or physical abilities.

Once participants design their quilts with scraps and simple washable glue, Bec works their magic stitching everything together into a finished quilt for everyone to enjoy.

ACCESS=LOVE

Quilting Queer History

As a proud lesbian, Bec uses their quilting practice to connect with the rich tradition of queer people's and women's use of fiber arts throughout history. She has been deeply inspired by the use of quilts as forms of memory keeping, gender expression, community connection, and making bold political statements throughout history.

Quilting for Social Change

Quilts have the power to make the world a better place in more ways than one.

Bec is always looking for new ways to use their creative practice to make a meaningful impact.

Making protest banners to carry while marching at protests has been a powerful way to spark conversation and bring attention to social issues. But making and displaying them isn't the only way these artworks can spark social change.

By organizing fundraisers and donating hand-crafted items to sell at these events, these crafts have directly supported people being impacted by ICE and the war in Gaza.