Biennial Juried Student Exhibition continues through January 30

19 Jan 2009    

View of the TCD Biennial Juried Student Exhibtion with Midnight by Cassandra Clayton, inset

Seventeen University of Nebraska-Lincoln students are currently exhibiting their contemporary fashion and textile design work in the 2007-2008 Biennial Juried Exhibition at UNL’s Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, through Friday January 30.

Dr. Jean L. Parsons, Associate Professor in Apparel Design at Iowa State University, served as juror for this edition of the exhibition, evaluating the 65 works that students entered in the competition. In a blind review process, Parsons selected work based solely on the merits of the entries. The show includes 27 pieces of fashion and textile design, representing the work of five graduate and twelve undergraduate students.

"The exhibition highlights the diverse areas of work in the design specialization in TCD," said Wendy Weiss, Director of Hillestad Gallery. Students are showing work completed in courses ranging from freshman to graduate levels. Their talents range from creating original fabric using dye, print and paint processes to creating one-of-a-kind apparel in ready-to-wear and couture stylings. One student incorporated beads, duck feathers, and horse and goat hair into her work, while another student utilized recycled clothing as the starting point for her sustainability-conscious garment.

Exhibition installation view with Pink Explosion by Cassandra Clayton, right

Students enrolled in Textiles, Clothing and Design courses in the past two years and students completing projects in the Undergraduate Creative Activity and Research Experiences Program (UCARE) were able to submit original designs or projects developed from Spring 2007 to the present. Each student could enter up to four pieces. While the entries were primarily in the apparel category, students also submitted textile designs and illustrations on board and fabric, including digitally-printed, hand-painted, and screen-printed prototypes. The range of designs from TCD coursework is impressively represented in the exhibition.

Exhibition juror Jean Parsons, co-author of 20TH CENTURY DRESS IN THE UNITED STATES published by Fairchild Publications in 2007, said "I enjoyed seeing the range of work, and especially the varied interpretations of inspiration sources. The pieces I chose ranged from examples with clean and crisp lines to others that were complex draped forms. I was particularly drawn to the apparel designs that combined attention to the craft process with a less traditional approach to shape and the use of seaming."

Green Moss (l.) by graduate student Tacia Booton, and Pinwheel

by undergrad Cashmere Boehle (r.)

An opening reception hosted by the Friends of the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery was held on Friday, January 16. Monetary awards underwritten by the Friends were presented to graduate students Tacia Booton and Mary Pattavina, and to undergraduates Michelle Higgins and Danielle Smith. Congratulations to these students on their accomplishments!

TCD Design major Danielle Smith receiving her award from Professor Barbara Trout

Following is a listing of all exhibiting students:

UNDERGRADUATES Cashmere Boehle, Dan Buhrdorf, Cassandra Clayton, Abby Gross, Sara Harper, Michelle Higgins, Tiffany Hopkins, Lisa Kalt, Stephanie Luna, Natalie Moravec, Madison Simmons and Danielle Smith.
GRADUATES Tacia Booton, Melissa Caldwell, Katie Taylor Frisch, Mary Pattavina and Erica White.