‘Exploration of Faculty Research in Design’ opens at CSU’s Gustafson Gallery

Note to Reporters: High-resolution photos are available at http://col.st/MFqUz.

Four design faculty in the Department of Design and Merchandising at Colorado State University are joining forces for an exhibition celebrating the full spectrum of art and design.

“Exploration of Faculty Research in Design” will debut with an opening reception on Tuesday, Oct. 4, in the Gustafson Gallery in CSU’s Gifford Building.

Inspiration for the designs is wide-ranging and comes from many sources, including traditional Chinese folk arts and Japanese textiles, the realm of art wearables, contemporary American pop culture superheroes, and multiple approaches to fiber constructions. Embroidery, macramé, appliqué, reverse appliqué, trapunto, hand-weaving, shibori pleating and digital printing on silk are a few of the techniques featured in this exhibition.

Throughout the gallery visitors will see an integration of current digital design technologies with traditional manual techniques for creating and manipulating textiles, and subsequently, garments. In some pieces the three-dimensional form serves as a metaphor for a garment and is not intended to be worn. Each faculty member has a unique aesthetic approach that results in creative eclecticism and an extravagant display of color, texture and surface embellishment on fabric.

The four Design and Merchandising faculty whose work is featured are Carol Engel-Enright, Kevin Kissell, Anna Perry and Diane Sparks. In some instances, their pieces have been disseminated through international juried venues prior to this exhibit.

Opening reception

The opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 4. The faculty designers will be in attendance to discuss their work with gallery viewers.

The Gustafson Gallery, part of the Department of Design and Merchandising in the College of Health and Human Sciences, is located in room 318 of the Gifford Building, 502 W. Lake St. The gallery is part of the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free. The exhibit will be on display until Dec. 15.