Looking at quilts as the result of multiple layers of processes, An Ecology of Quilts: The Natural History of American Textiles features samples and illustrations of materials extracted from plants and animals to produce sophisticated textiles. The exhibition invites us to reconsider AFAM’s quilt collection in relation to the environment and to explore diverse methods of making and dyeing fibers.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the Museum is offering a special workshop led by professor Whitney Crutchfield in Fashion Institute of Technology’s rooftop Natural Dye Garden, a student-focused research space that supports more than 20 species of natural color-yielding plants. This exceptional Dialogue + Studio Workshop begins with a behind-the-scenes tour where participants will learn about FIT’s collection of dyestuffs and the institution’s sustainable processes in this unique urban greenspace. The tour will be followed by a hands-on session in which participants transform freshly harvested indigo leaves into vibrant color on silk, creating your own naturally dyed scarf.

AFAM’s The Dialogue + Studio Workshop series offers participants opportunities to gain insight into and engage with self-taught art, past and present, at a deep level. Focused discussions about select themes, techniques, and materials featured in current exhibitions are paired with related expert-led hands-on workshops.

About the speaker:

Whitney Crutchfield is an Assistant Professor in the Textile Development and Marketing department at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) with a focus on weaving, dyeing, sustainable and low-impact production, and entrepreneurial and marketing strategies. She is also the faculty steward for FIT’s Natural Dye Garden. Professor Crutchfield is a member of FIT’s Sustainability Council as well as several professional societies, including AATCC, ITAA, Complex Weavers, and the Handweavers Guild of America. She is the founder of the Brooklyn-based educational textile studio, WE GATHER, which offers commission and site-specific interior textile works, hands-on workshops for private and corporate clients, and DIY weaving and dyeing kits for retail customers around the world. Professor Crutchfield’s special research interests lie in circularity and waste mitigation in the textile industry, advanced woven structures, and bio-fabricated and electronic materials for weaving.

Images

FIT’s Natural Dye Garden. Courtesy of FIT.

Registration: Tickets and Location

This program will take place at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), located at 227 W 27th St, New York City.

This program is limited to 25 individuals; advance registration is required. Everyone is welcome – No prior experience required.

Tickets are $15 / $12 members, students, artists, seniors; Materials will be provided.

For questions or to request accessibility accommodations, please email publicprograms@folkartmuseum.org.

Credits

This program is organized in partnership with Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).

A part of the State University of New York (SUNY), FIT has been a leader in career education in art, design, business, and technology throughout its history. Providing more than 8,000 students with an uncommon blend of hands-on, practical experience, theory, and a firm grounding in the liberal arts, the college offers a wide range of affordable programs that foster innovation and collaboration. Its distinctive curriculum is geared to today’s rapidly growing creative economy, including fields such as computer animation, toy design, production management, film and media, and cosmetics and fragrance marketing. Internationally renowned, FIT draws on its New York City location to provide a vibrant, creative community in which to learn. The college offers nearly 50 majors and grants AAS, BFA, BS, MA, MFA, and MPS degrees, preparing students for professional success and leadership in the new creative economy. Among notable alumni in fashion are Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Norma Kamali, Reem Acra, Brian Atwood, Stephen Burrows, Dennis Basso, Francisco Costa, Nanette Lepore, Bibhu Mohapatra, Ralph Rucci, John Bartlett, Peter Do, Daniel Roseberry, and Michelle Smith. Other prominent graduates include Leslie Blodgett, creator of bareMinerals; international restaurant designer Tony Chi; and Nina Garcia, editor-in-chief of Elle. fitnyc.edu

Dialogue + Studio Workshop: Growing the Rainbow at FIT's Natural Dye Garden