‘Calories’ Handkerchief, Franshaw Inc, mid-20th century, United States, 14 x 14 inches. While we cannot vouch for the scientific accuracy of the calorie counts on this handkerchief (which in fact seem quite dubious!), tucking this in your pocket might remind you of the relative merits or demerits of the holiday table this Thanksgiving week! This […]
Mat depicting the seal of the United States President, Needle lace in cotton or linen, 1950-1990, United States, 7” diameter. By Nora Renick Rinehart, a first year MFA student in Design Studies. While doing research for an upcoming project on textiles and American politics, this exquisite example of needle lace immediately caught my attention. Created […]
Mathilda Schwalbach, Faces of the Nation Facing the World, screenprinting on cotton, United States, 1968 Samantha Comerford is a graduate student in Art History at University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Collection Assistant in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. In looking through the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection I was immediately struck by this printed […]
Bag, Idaho, 1900-1929, cornhusk and wool, 23 x 18 in. Dakota Mace (Diné) recently received her MFA in Textiles from the School of Human Ecology and is a Collections Assistant in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. Kendra Greendeer (Ho-Chunk) is a doctoral student in History of Art and Collection Manager for the Little Eagle […]
Chalice Veil, France, 1700-1765, metallic foil, metallic-wrapped silk, silk on silk, 24 x 23 in. Olivia Scumaci is a third-year student in the School of Human Ecology, majoring in Retailing and Consumer Behavior. I originally chose my piece, a French chalice veil from around 1700-1765, because of its remarkable beauty. The delicate milky-white square of […]
What’s really in our clothes?; Back-to-school savings tips; Background TV’s impact on kids; and more.
Dress, United States of America, 1940-1949, silk, 58”x36” Last week’s Textile Tuesday examined the history and provenance of a silk dress in the HLATC collection; this week, a different student examines the same dress from a more personal vantage point. Tess E. Hurley is a student in the School of Human Ecology, studying Textiles and […]
Dress, United States of America, 1940-1949, silk, 58”x36” Corinn Ebelis a student in the School of Human Ecology, majoring in Textiles and Fashion Design. This dress, a gift in honor of Milwaukee’s Pabst family, is a beautiful memoir of custom dressmaking and embroidery. It shows superior craftsmanship of its time, and pride in the industry’s […]
Blanket, Mexico, 1930-1939, wool. April Hoh-Alfaro is completing her undergraduate degree in Textiles and Fashion Design in the School of Human Ecology; she has also worked as an intern in the Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection. I wanted to write about a Mexican textile because I am Mexican, and have grown up with textiles from […]
WEAVING LAB LANDS IN CHICAGO | Fairbanks’ Weaving Lab in Chicago this June Associate Professor Marianne Fairbanks takes her Weaving Lab project to Chicago with the exhibition A Deliberately Non-Straight Line Compound Yellow, June 2-30, plus an opening reception on June 2, 2-4 pm. Weaving Lab ran for two summers in Madison. In 2019, it […]
Coat, France, 1870, cotton, pearl, silk on wool, 23 x 17 in. Anna Arndt just completed her third year in the School of Human Ecology, studying Retail and Consumer Behavior. We are riding a wave of changing consumerism. Textiles today are mass produced – both in quantity and viewership. It isn’t enough to buy something, […]
Fairbanks Work Brings Enrichment to Public Transportation | Robb comments on Passion vs. Profit | Wong Reflects on Savings and Spending | Assistant Professor Marianne Fairbanks was selected by the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority to create a new art bus wrap, connecting weaving, math and technology. Zigs Zags, Zags Zig, “… pays homage […]
Futon Cover Fragment, Japan, 1868-1912, 14×13 in By Sophie Downs, a fourth year student in SoHE, studying Textiles and Fashion Design. This floral piece of cloth is a futon cover fragment from Japan from the turn of the twentieth century. A futon (pronounced fu-tone not fu-tan) is a Japanese style of bed that is essentially […]
A Collection that Counts: The History, Practice, and Future of Textile Collecting This symposium was held Saturday April 6 2019. “A Collection that counts brings knowledge, a losing of self in the sorting and arranging, a huge enjoyment in showing the collection, and the acquiring of many new friends both in making and showing of […]
Dr. Sarah Anne Carter has accepted a two-year position as Visiting Executive Director of the Center for Design and Material Culture (CDMC) and Visiting Assistant Professor in Design Studies in the School of Human Ecology. Effective March 1 2019 Dr. Carter will begin working part time, on loan from the Chipstone Foundation until the position […]
Walk by the large window displays on the first floor or Nancy Nicholas Hall, and you’ll see the current exhibit of large-print British textiles from the late 60s and early 70s. According to Natasha Thoreson, Curator and Collections Manager at SoHE, the bold prints represent the Avant Garde style popular at the time in London. […]
Design Studies Masters in Fine Arts Exhibition April 22 – May 13, 2018 Each year the Ruth Davis Design Gallery showcases the final, degree-fulfilling work of Master of Fine Arts candidates from the Design Studies Department. The exhibition is the culmination of three years of intensive work as each candidate launches their formal career as […]
Professor Majid Saramdi in the SoHE Department of Design Studies has been selected by the UW-Madison Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee to receive the Van Hise Outreach Teaching Award. The academic accomplishments of Dr. Majid Sarmadi, Rothermel Bascom Professor at the School of Human Ecology, are many, but what most distinguishes him is his commitment to […]
Egúngún Arts of the Yorùbá in Africa and Beyond January 24 – April 8, 2018 The Ruth Davis Design Gallery hosts the exhibition Whirling Return of the Ancestors, a dynamic, multi-sensorial exhibition of sights, sounds, motions … and emotions, January 24 – April 8, 2018. The exhibition presents the rich and varied artistry of Egúngún […]
December 1 – 4, 2017 Special Gallery Hours: Friday, December 1, 10 am – 7 pm Saturday and Sunday, December 2 – 3, Noon – 4 pm Monday, December 4, 10 am – 4 pm Opening reception: Friday, December 1, 5 – 7 pm The Textiles and Fashion Design (TFD) Fall Showcase features the work […]
Check out what’s going on in SoHE this week! HDFS Professor Raison Interviewed on MDMA as PTSD Treatment SoHE Professor Dr. Charles Raison was interviewed by Channel 3 news on his research regarding MDMA, also known as Ecstasy, as a possible treatment for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Food and Drug Administration has referred […]
For the second summer in a row, SoHE professor Marianne Fairbanks has taken over the Image Lab at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery and transformed it into the Weaving Lab: Plain Cloth Productions. Community members are welcome to come and learn the basics of this ancient art form. As a dedicated member of the SoHE family, […]
September 20 – November 19, 2017 Gallery hours: Wednesday – Friday 10 am – 4 pm, Thursday evenings until 7 pm Saturday – Sunday, Noon – 4 pm About the exhibition This fall, the Ruth Davis Design Gallery is organizing The Memory Project: Faces of Joy, a traveling exhibition featuring 70 handmade portraits based on […]
CAP Grant The Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection was one of 75 national museums and libraries selected to participate in the inaugural year of the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program. Administered by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artist Works, CAP assists museums in improving the care of their […]