'Designer Showcase Nebraska' at Hillestad Gallery through Feb. 19

Released on 01/29/2010, at 2:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln

WHERE: Robert Hillestad Textile Gallery, 2nd floor, Home Economics Building, north of 35th Street and East Campus Loop

Lincoln, Neb., January 29th, 2010 —
"Flower Group," 2009, Jay Rich (courtesy of the artist)
"Woven Jacket," 2009, Layna Bentley (courtesy of the artist)
"Small Felted Vessel," 2009, Jane Marie (courtesy of the artist)

The "Designer Showcase Nebraska" exhibition at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery through Feb. 19 features three talented artist/designers who live and work in Nebraska and have chosen fiber as their medium of expression. The featured artists are Layna Bentley and Jay Rich of Omaha, and Jane Marie of Hastings.

"We selected these individuals because they are all practicing artists, they each have created an extensive body of work and they are committed to education through sharing their work and their process," said Barbara Trout, professor of textiles, clothing and design at UNL and curator of the exhibition.

The artists will participate in a public panel discussion at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 in Room 11 of the Home Economics Building on 35th Street north of East Campus Loop [map]. The Friends of the Gallery will host a designer boutique and reception following the panel discussion at 3 p.m. A portion of the sales will benefit the work of the Friends group. The panel discussion and the exhibit are free and open to the public.

Bentley combines excellent weaving skills with a keen knowledge and interest in fashion to create one of a kind garments and accessories. She constructs her woven fabrics into timeless suits, coats, and jackets that possess a couture edge. Bentley also specializes in beaded jewelry and hand dyed silk scarves that reflect her exceptional sensitivity to color. Education is part of her mission as she teaches workshops both privately and in conjunction with the Midwest Handweaver's Guild. She also continues to teach courses in fashion and interior design at colleges in the area. She and Rich are engaged in collaborative work in which Rich designs the textiles and Bentley creates the garments. The results are highly styled, cream-colored coats adorned with pools of soft indigo blue.

A native Nebraskan, Marie is a prolific artist and high school teacher in Aurora. An active participant in the Nebraska Art Educator's Annual Exhibition, her work has received several Best of Show Awards. The Handweaver's Guild of America "Small Expressions Exhibition" juried in her work in both 2008 and 2009. She works primarily in natural materials such as hand dyed wool and mohair. Her surroundings and nature inform her work, which consists mainly of loom woven rugs and felted vessels. Her rugs have a contemporary feel and feature an Ikat dyed wool weft. The hand-shaped vessels featured in the exhibition are pod-like in structure and display an organic interplay of texture and color.

Rich considers himself a textile artist and researcher. His interests include experimenting with and promoting indigo dyeing as well as shaping and dyeing silk fabric with shibori techniques. His work with indigo results in beautiful renditions of inky blue tones on ramie, cotton or linen cloth. Rich also studies and practices the ancient technique of textile printing known as clamp resist dyeing. He has immersed himself in the exploration of this technique and lectures on the subject at both local and international venues such as the Surface Design Conference.

This talented collaboration in the Hillestad Gallery reiterates the fact that work of significant depth is being done throughout the state in the area of textile arts. The work gathered for the exhibition provides examples of a wide range of techniques and approaches used in textile design with outcomes that range from decorative arts to fashion. Students in the UNL textiles, clothing and design program and members of the community will benefit as the artists visit campus to participate in panel discussions and demonstrations of their process and approaches.

The Hillestad Gallery is part of the Department of Textiles, Clothing and Design in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences. The gallery is on the second floor of the Home Economics Building on East Campus, on 35th Street north of East Campus Loop. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and by appointment. Admission is free. For more information, call (402) 472-6370 or visit http://textilegallery.unl.edu.