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Michael Burton

Associate Professor - Director Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery - Center for Digital Research in the Humanities Fellow - Research Affiliate in the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools

Department of Textiles, Merchandising & Fashion Design University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
GNHS 220A
Lincoln NE 68583-0802
Phone
5085244078
Email
mburton4@unl.edu
Website
Social Media

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Michael specializes in digital fashion and virtual garment visualization, with an emphasis on leveraging Clo3D and gaming engine technology. His Animating History Lab is a mentorship program where students integrate historical research with digital fashion, to create digital artifacts that interpret historical objects like clothing, art, or printed media through 3D modeling, animation, and virtual reality. 

His expertise encompasses digital surface design, CAD for fashion, and technical design, focusing on the application of advanced technologies to modernize fashion education and practice. Michael's work has been featured in various exhibitions and film projects, reflecting a commitment to pushing the boundaries of digital fashion and media.

Education

2000 - BFA - Green Mountaion College

2007 - MFA - Fine Art - University of Nebraska Lincoln 

Areas of Expertise

  • Art and Design
  • Digital Fashion
  • Animation

Selected Solo & Group Art Exhibitions

  • 2025 Storytellers (group) - Durham Museum, Omaha, NE
  • 2022 Art Struct (group) – Vero Beach Museum of Art, Vero Beach, FL
  • 2021 Floor of the Sky (solo) - Kiechel Fine Art, Lincoln, NE
  • 2020 Nebraska Now; Anna (solo) - Museum of Nebraska Art Kearney, NE
  • 2015 Art Seen (group) - Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
  • 2011 Blink! Light, Sound and the Moving Image (group) -Denver Art Museum Denver, CO 
  • 2010 The Moving Image (group) - RISD Art Museum, Providence, RI

Selected Film Festivals

  • 2024 Phoenix Film Festival, Phoenix, AZ
  • 2024 Omaha Film Festival, Omaha, NE
  • 2022 Prince George’s Film Festival, Bowie, MD  
  • 2019 Hip Hop Film Festival (juried) Harlem, NY.
  • 2018 Virginia Film Festival (juried) Charlottesville, VA 
  • 2018 New Media Film Festival (juried) Los Angeles, CA. 

Honors and Recognition

  • Best Animation (Best in Category)- Prince George's Film Festival
  • Best in Animation Category - New Media Film Festival
  • CEHS Distinguished Research and Creative Activity Award
  • Dudziak Prize for Legal History - Anna film
  • NUtech Creative Works of the Year Award
  • Distinguished Filmmaker Nebraska Arts Council
  • Best in Show (2008)- Sioux City Art Center