TCD Students Work with Clinton Elementary to Create Fashion-Forward T-shirts

06 Dec 2008    

Clinton Elementary student's self-portrait captures the sense of satisfaction that everyone associated with this project enjoyed.

A project involving TCD undergraduate and graduate students and students from neighboring Clinton Elementary School that was launched in conjunction with November’s Schoolhouse Quilts exhibition in the Hillestad Gallery was brought a step closer to fruition this week with the completion of screenprinted t-shirt self-portraits by the Clinton students.

Working under the direction of Lucy McHugh, Clinton School art specialist, whose art room is a place where young children can interact with CEHS students, first grade children designed self-portraits in the style of Picasso. TCD students currently enrolled in TXCD 225 Surface Design on Textiles translated the 74 original Clinton drawings into stencils and printed them onto white t-shirts.

TCD students in TXCD 225 Surface Design on Textiles shown working on the stencils for the Clinton School students' self-portrait t-shirt project. Above, Emily Bartels carefully lifts the stencil from a just-printed t-shirt. Below, Joanna Engleman displays the adhesive film used as the stencil material.

This project represents one of several collaborations between Professor Wendy Weiss and Art Specialist Lucy McHugh. Their mutual goal is to introduce the neighborhood children to the state university. Ninety three percent of the students who attend Clinton Elementary are eligible for free or reduced lunch, twenty eight percent are English language learners, and twenty one percent are involved in special education.

The Fund the Need program at Clinton Elementary and Wal-Mart Stores helped to provide supplies for the project. Katie Frisch, TCD graduate assistant carrying out taking a teaching practicum with Professor Weiss, helped to facilitate the project, and also worked with visiting Lecturer Judith James and the students in a second 225 section to print the t-shirts.

Clinton School students' t-shirts on display in the TCD hallway display cases

In upcoming sessions in Lucy McHugh’s art room, the children at Clinton will embellish their t-shirts with additional colors and details, and TCD students will again be involved in this culminating step in the project.

Congratulations to the Clinton artists and their teacher, and many thanks to Prof. Weiss and the TCD team for making this outreach experience an enriching one for all involved!