Hillestad exhibit features students' sustainable designs

            A new exhibit at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery, "Renewable Dreaming," showcases garments and textiles created by undergraduate and graduate students in the UNL Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design.

            Students researched sustainability in different aspects of textile and garment production. They designed and created the textiles using many different techniques, including screen-printing, shibori and digital printing.

            The exhibition includes more than 30 original patterns and designs. Wendy Weiss, professor and gallery director, taught the textile design course in collaboration with Barbara Trout, who taught experimental fashion design. Leah Sorensen-Hayes, digital printing studio assistant, worked with the advanced students to assist them in printing their fabric on the environmentally friendly, high-resolution Mimaki DS1600 digital textile printer. Cutting-edge Wasatch RIP software communicates with the printer, which has high-speed print heads and a maximum print width of 63 inches. The printer is housed in a humidity-controlled Digital Textile Printing Laboratory, where students also learned how to use a Jacquard SteamJet fabric finisher for optimal dye fixation.

            "This class has provided phenomenal instruction on how to create balanced and aesthetically pleasing images and patterns," said Lily Hershey of Lincoln. "We found the creation of original patterns and images to be one of the most exciting parts of design."

            "Given an inspiration as personal and thought-provoking as a dream I was really able to get inspired throughout the whole process, from textile to garment," said Anna Mesloh, a senior design student from Deshler.

            Kendra Morgan of Blair said she also experienced this distinct perspective: "What's unique about designing the print and garment is that you literally have control over the whole process, from fabric choice and pattern to the final garment design down to the last stitch."

            The exhibition is free and open to the public, and runs April 15 through May 3. All the designers will be present at reception at the gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. April 19, including gallery remarks from the designers at 7.  In addition, an advanced event operations class taught by Gina Causin will plan and organize a separate reception, also based on sustainability, for the designers and the public.

            The Hillestad Gallery is part of the Department of Textiles, Merchandizing and Fashion 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. For more information, call 402-472-6370 or visit http://textilegallery.unl.edu.

            Participating student designers and their hometowns:

            Blair: Kendra Morgan.

            Bosanska Dubica, Bosnia and Herzegovia: Nermin Terzic.

            Deshler: Anna Mesloh.

            Hartington: Amanda Dendinger.

            Kearney: Megan Berry.

            Lincoln: Lily Hershey, Kjersti Pollard.

            Omaha: Adrienne Anderson, Lindsay Ducey, Jasmine Gatson.

            Saline, Mich.: Brin Walters.

            San Francisco, Calif.: Samantha Christenson.

Writer: Wendy Weiss