The Fibers and Material Studies curriculum teaches technical skills to allow students to explore possibilities through loom and off-loom processes, dyeing and printing and digital output. Fiber courses encourage the use and experimentation of both traditional and nontraditional materials as diverse as Tyvek, latex rubber, wax, resin, and plant matter. Student work investigates two and three dimensions including wall pieces, wearables, indoor and outdoor sculptural installations, and book forms. Fibers faculty emphasize a cross-disciplinary approach by students.
BFA in Fibers & Material Studies Key Learning Outcomes
- Understanding of the conceptual and theoretical principles in their major
- Effective critical thinking and analytical skills
- Effective utilization of oral and written communication
- Knowledge of research sources and tools for project development
- Knowledge of health and safety issues surrounding the use of materials and equipment
- Technical expertise in various construction processes utilized in each discipline
- Technical expertise in the software and hardware utilized in each discipline
- Knowledge of the history and tradition of each discipline
- Highly developed aesthetic and conceptual skills
- Professional caliber image and object making abilities
- Professional presentation, installation, and documentation abilities
MFA in Fibers & Material Studies Key Learning Outcomes
- Ability to critically analyze work
- Exploration of the expressive possibilities of the discipline with knowledge of the full range of conceptual modes and material manipulations
- Understanding how innovations in the field are the outcome of first acknowledging and then questioning existing boundaries and conventions
- Understanding the discipline as it relates to other forms of cultural production in a contemporary, multi-cultural, international field
- Ability to work independently, identify areas of research towards the development of a focused and personal direction