April 20, 2020

FCSE 3040 - Patternmaking

USU Students Present "Fashion Inspired by NEHMA"

April 20 - June 30, 2020

The Project

During Spring 2020 Semester, FCSE 3040 Advanced Clothing Studies: Patternmaking students at Utah State University were challenged to create a half-scale fashion inspired by artwork on view at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. Project specifications required students to incorporate design details that reflected design elements from their NEHMA inspiration piece.

Three NEHMA exhibitions were represented in the students' selections:
Latinx From the NEHMA Collection
Particle & Wave: Paperclay Illuminated
Thomas Campbell: Lint basket supremeo + Unii ciøn yyikæ

The design process for this exhibition required some effort from students. Concept ideation, sketching, pattern drafting and manipulation, sourcing of textiles, notions, and embellishment techniques, as well as sewing, constructing, and fitting the garment were all requisite for a finished item to showcase.

This video exhibition features the results of the students' thoughtful and creative fabrication. Course instructors Amber Williams and Jenn Nielson, and the staff at the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art wish to recognize the diligence and creative persistence of all the participants and to show appreciation for their remarkable efforts and artistry.

Slow Looking

Before beginning the project, students visited the NEHMA galleries and were led through a Slow Looking activity by Donna Brown, Scholar in Residence/Head of Academic Initiatives at NEHMA. Slow Looking is the art and practice of learning through observation. Students were guided through this process by Dr. Brown while viewing When the Clown Sings the Ballerina will Dance, by Eloy Torrez in the exhibition Latinx From the NEHMA Collection.

The art of seeing is the daily work of experts. Practice the art of Slow Looking as you search for symbolic representation of the NEHMA artifacts in the half-scale apparel designs created by the students. Look and listen closely as you view this gallery exhibit. What do you see (colors, shapes, lines, details)? What do you feel? How does it function?