Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

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ARTS 109 Fibers for Non-Majors [GEKA]


Fibers for non-majors will focus on basic fiber and textile techniques such as surface design, weaving and embellished constructed forms. Within the course curriculum, students will learn historic processes, the importance of traditional craft techniques and their evolution to contemporary practice.

Credit 3 hrs May not be repeated for additional credit
Grade Mode Normal (A-F) Course Rotation

Prerequisites -
Other Restrictions -
Restriction by Major -
Restriction by Class - Undergraduate standing


Rationale for Knowledge of the Disciplines - The visual arts is a broad field that encompasses a large spectrum of disciplines that communicate, express, record, capture, affect, and reflect the world around us. Fibers for non-majors exposes students to specific techniques working with fabric, dyes and textile pigments, and gain exposure to textile history within our culture both in and outside of the art world. These techniques will include hand dyeing of cellulose and protein fibers and learning hands-on immediate results with fiber reactive dyes. Information and data will be collected by students recording the differences in the types of fabrics, weave structures and how this affects the outcome of the color. Subtleties like this will give students the skills to build upon when creating work for future projects in the course. Additional techniques such as silk painting will further build upon their knowledge of traditional processes, textile history, and design knowledge while learning to work with a different type of dyes and materials to create original work for the course. The creation of screen-printing and how it was developed will be approached from a low-tech perspective to allow students to print simple yet complex and interesting fabrics with textile pigments. Textile pigments are a different type of print medium that is used in addition to dyes used on fabrics. The screen-printing applications will cover how to design different repeating patterns; how they were historically printed and how large companies print mass productions of fabrics. Complimenting the dyeing and screen-printing projects students will learn historic stitch patterns while developing more contemporary and expressive stitching for their own unique projects. Traditional quilts, garments, and textiles will be used as a foundation to help students develop an understanding of how textiles provide an important and fundamental role in our lives from birth to death. This course helps students learn specific creative skills and how they can be explored and applied to their learning styles. These skills will not only be used in short term while they are at EMU but will influence a student’s development and understand the importance textiles and art have in our society and within the general education program.

Keywords: fibers, art , Knowledge of the Disciplines - Arts (GEKA) 
Updates: Approved for GEKA 2/2018, effective Fall 2018; Change to description 2/2018, effective Fall 2018; New Course 12/2016, effective Fall 2017


Summer 2024 Course Sections

Fall 2024 Course Sections




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