Fall 2027 Early Action and Priority Merit Scholarship Deadline: November 15
The undergraduate Fiber and Material Studies program is the largest in the world and offers a progressive curriculum taught by distinguished and innovative faculty who are leading working artists and scholars in the field. At the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), we teach Fiber and Material Studies in a contemporary fine arts context, emphasizing materiality, experimentation, and innovation.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) students considering a concentration in Fiber and Material Studies, we encourage can enroll in beginning-level classes such as Introduction to Fiber and Material Studies, Drawn to Print, Woven Structure Basics, Papermaking I, To Dye For, and Stitch I. From there, Fiber and Material Studies faculty will help you determine the sequence and selection of upper-level courses best suited to your practice and interests. Those classes include Os + 1s Jacquard Weaving, Print Into Sculpture: 3D Screens, The Unpainted Picture, Time, Material, and the Everyday, Micro/Macro: Artist Research, and advanced weaving, print, dye, and papermaking classes.
We encourage you to seek connections and crossovers between Fiber and Material Studies and other studio and design areas at the school. Our curriculum practices a broad range of concerns incorporating and informed by several key areas:
You and your peers will develop a wide range of 2D and 3D work through concerns of hands-on making, concept and content articulated on the surface, in the structure, and through mixed media (crossover disciplines).
Students interested in pursuing the BFA in Studio with the Thesis Option (Liberal Arts or Visual Critical Studies) should contact their academic advisor for details about eligibility, program requirements, and the application process.
To apply to SAIC, you will need to fill out an application and submit your transcripts, artist's statement, and letters of recommendation. And most importantly, we require a portfolio of your best and most recent work—work that will give us a sense of you, your interests, and your willingness to explore, experiment, and think beyond technical art, design, and writing skills.
In order to apply, please submit the following items:
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Portfolio:
Submit 10–15 pieces of your best and most recent work. We will review your portfolio and application materials for merit scholarship once you have been admitted to SAIC.
When compiling a portfolio, you may concentrate your work in a single discipline or show work in a breadth of media. The portfolio may include drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, film, video, audio recordings, sculpture, ceramics, fashion designs, graphic design, furniture, objects, architectural designs, websites, video games, sketchbooks, scripts, storyboards, screenplays, zines, or any combination of the above.
Learn more about applying to SAIC's Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio, or view our portfolio preparation guide for more information.
Review the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio curriculum and degree requirements. Note: This is information for the current academic year. Any future curricular changes will be made when the new catalog is published.
| Title | Catalog | Instructor | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction To Fiber/Material Studies | 2000 (001) | Carina Yepez | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to a diverse range of textile materials, processes, histories, politics, traditions, and cultures of fiber and their relationships to contemporary art practice. Historical and contemporary approaches to process and materials are explored as students are introduced to a variety of fiber techniques in construction and surface application. Taught technique can include printing, tapestry weaving, immersion and resist dyeing, knitting, crochet, felting, coiling, hand embroidery, machine sewing, piecework, and embellishment. Textiles have rich and complex histories in all cultures. Examples from across time and place will be explored and discussed through visual presentations, assigned readings, in-class discussions, visiting artist lectures, and field trips.
By the end of this course, students will become familiar with the formal, conceptual, expressive, and political potential of fiber as an expressive medium with limitless possibilities. Course work will vary but typically includes the creation of technical samples, critique projects, and reading responses. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Introduction To Fiber/Material Studies | 2000 (002) | Sofía Fernández Díaz | Tues
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to a diverse range of textile materials, processes, histories, politics, traditions, and cultures of fiber and their relationships to contemporary art practice. Historical and contemporary approaches to process and materials are explored as students are introduced to a variety of fiber techniques in construction and surface application. Taught technique can include printing, tapestry weaving, immersion and resist dyeing, knitting, crochet, felting, coiling, hand embroidery, machine sewing, piecework, and embellishment. Textiles have rich and complex histories in all cultures. Examples from across time and place will be explored and discussed through visual presentations, assigned readings, in-class discussions, visiting artist lectures, and field trips.
By the end of this course, students will become familiar with the formal, conceptual, expressive, and political potential of fiber as an expressive medium with limitless possibilities. Course work will vary but typically includes the creation of technical samples, critique projects, and reading responses. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Introduction To Fiber/Material Studies | 2000 (003) | Vanessa Viruet | Mon/Wed
6:45 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to a diverse range of textile materials, processes, histories, politics, traditions, and cultures of fiber and their relationships to contemporary art practice. Historical and contemporary approaches to process and materials are explored as students are introduced to a variety of fiber techniques in construction and surface application. Taught technique can include printing, tapestry weaving, immersion and resist dyeing, knitting, crochet, felting, coiling, hand embroidery, machine sewing, piecework, and embellishment. Textiles have rich and complex histories in all cultures. Examples from across time and place will be explored and discussed through visual presentations, assigned readings, in-class discussions, visiting artist lectures, and field trips.
By the end of this course, students will become familiar with the formal, conceptual, expressive, and political potential of fiber as an expressive medium with limitless possibilities. Course work will vary but typically includes the creation of technical samples, critique projects, and reading responses. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Introduction To Fiber/Material Studies | 2000 (004) | Sarita Garcia | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces students to a diverse range of textile materials, processes, histories, politics, traditions, and cultures of fiber and their relationships to contemporary art practice. Historical and contemporary approaches to process and materials are explored as students are introduced to a variety of fiber techniques in construction and surface application. Taught technique can include printing, tapestry weaving, immersion and resist dyeing, knitting, crochet, felting, coiling, hand embroidery, machine sewing, piecework, and embellishment. Textiles have rich and complex histories in all cultures. Examples from across time and place will be explored and discussed through visual presentations, assigned readings, in-class discussions, visiting artist lectures, and field trips.
By the end of this course, students will become familiar with the formal, conceptual, expressive, and political potential of fiber as an expressive medium with limitless possibilities. Course work will vary but typically includes the creation of technical samples, critique projects, and reading responses. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Woven Structure | 2002 (001) | Jerry Bleem | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course introduces floor loom hand weaving through the study of weave structures, woven image techniques, and fiber types. Students will explore both traditional and experimental approaches to material and technique, including double weaves, dyed warps, and hand-manipulated methods such as brocade and inlay. Over the course of the semester, students will produce finished weavings on 4-harness floor looms through in depth exploration and research. The course also examines the global histories of woven cloth through readings, presentations, and class discussions. Artists studied may include Diedrick Brackens, Lenore Tawney, and Gunta Stölzl, alongside writings by Anni Albers, T'ai Smith, and Dieter Hoffman-Axthelm. Students will learn to read and work from weaving draft patterns and will conduct independent research into artists and techniques of personal interest. Throughout, the course engages with the conceptual and material considerations of contemporary craft-based art. Students present finished and in-progress work in individual and group critiques throughout the semester.
|
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Print for Fabric and Alternative Materials | 2004 (001) | Jess Atieno Ounga | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course demonstrates a wide range of screenprinting processes on fabric and alternative substrates, including textile inks, fiber reactive dyes, resist and discharge techniques, and heat transfers using foils and disperse dyes. Students will work with hand-drawn, computer-generated, and photographic images to explore screenprinting techniques and concepts such as monoprinting, multiples, color relationships, composition, and basic repeat patterns. Interdisciplinary and experimental approaches to the printed surface are encouraged as students develop their personal research and practice. The course is supplemented by lectures, readings, and visits to the AIC, artist studios, and galleries. Students present finished and in-progress work in individual and group critiques throughout the semester.
|
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Stitch | 2005 (001) | Christian Ortiz | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course explores stitching as a means of altering the surface of textiles and other pliable materials, examining its role across functional, decorative, and contemporary arts practices. Students will develop skills in traditional and non-traditional hand manipulation, machine sewing, and digital embroidery, including the use of design software for embroidery machines. Quilting, piecework, and appliqué are taught through both hand methods and work created on home sewing and Tin Lizzie machines. Technical skills are taught within the context of fiber, craft, and fine art discourse, encouraging students to develop work driven by their own formal, material, and conceptual concerns. Lectures and assigned readings broaden this foundation, situating course content within the history and contemporary landscape of the field. Students present finished and in-progress work in individual and group critiques throughout the semester.
|
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Craft and Object in Contemporary Art | 2900 (036) | Stacia Laura Yeapanis | Wed
12:15 PM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
The word 'craft' has been used both as a badge of honor and as a dismissive slur. This seminar will explore the stereotypes, the history and the changing status of craft in relation to contemporary art in America.
We will read essays by craft theorists and makers including Marie Lo, M. Anna Fariello, Bruce Metcalf, L.J. Roberts and Namita Gupta Wiggers and watch the PBS Docuseries 'Craft in America' to help us triangulate an ever-shifting definition of craft. Students will bring previously-critiqued, in-process and revised work to 3 critiques, where an emphasis will be placed not just on WHAT objects mean but also HOW they mean. Course work includes weekly free-writing, reading discussions, and several assignments designed to help students articulate their artistic concerns and contextualize their work. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Must be a sophomore to enroll. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Twist | 3019 (001) | Jerry Bleem | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This class investigates the properties of the elemental act of twisting raw materials into pliable linear elements. Students learn to spin and ply--using drop spindles and wheels--and to extend elements through rope making and various splicing techniques. Building on this foundation, students manipulate these fibrous elements into 2- and 3-dimensional forms as well as exploring expressive possibilities, and the limits of materials and structures.
Topics for reading and discussion include the development of spinning and textile production, the social and economic histories of labor, historic and contemporary art examples of spun and structured fiber, and current cultural interests in reclaiming the handmade. Course work includes reading responses, participation in discussions, assembling a set of samples, reporting on research and 3 studio projects. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| The Unpainted Picture | 3028 (001) | Diana Guerrero-Maciá | Mon
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This studio course will consider how to compose a picture plane with a variety of materials including paper collage, fabric piecing, applique, heat press, direct dye application and other handwork, to create line and form. Students will make use of drawing and form invention methods including stitching and dying, in conjunction with, or in place of, painted surfaces. Projects and critiques will address the critical use of compositional elements and materials within the picture plane.
|
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Chemical Aftertaste: reactive processes for screen printing | 3029 (001) | Christine Tarkowski | Tues
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
In this class, students will learn reactive processes for use in screen printing on fabric and pliable materials. Reactive processes are those that will chemically or physically alter the nature of the printed cloth and include; fiber reactive dyes, devoré or the burning away of fibers, bleaching and removing of color, and the sublimation of color from one surface to another. Screen printing will be the primary method of creating works, yet a broad disciplinary approach is encouraged.
Assignments will be framed to address concepts of alchemy and instability, and include readings of works by; Georges Bataille, Anthony Vidler, Luce Irigaray, Yve-Alain Bois and Rosalind Krauss. Students will create three studio intensive projects for class critiques. Prior screen printing experience is recommended. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Cloth at Scale | 3036 (001) | Emily Winter | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This intensive studio course focuses on planning, experimentation, and production of woven works on traditional floor looms, computer-interfaced looms, and semi-industrial Dobby looms housed between the weaving studios in Fiber and Material Studies and The Weaving Mill (TWM), an artist-run industrial weaving studio in Humboldt Park which blends design, production, textile education and research-based practice. This course introduces students to experimental weaving designs, unconventional methods and materials, and the opportunity to produce their ideas at scale with access to the fully mechanized Dobby looms at The Weaving Mill.
Students will engage in rigorous studio practices, material culture research, and practical applications of their work. While conceptual questions around making will be central to the coursework, students will also be supported in identifying and researching the socio-economic and political ramifications of working in the language of woven cloth. Readings may include works by Hito Steryl, Rosalind Krauss, Jen Hewett, Anni Albers, T¿ai Smith, Peter Stallybrass, Karl Marx. Over the course of the semester, students will produce a range of individually-motivated woven samples and studies, eventually working within the production parameters of the industrial looms at TWM to design and produce yardage for installation, object design, and artists¿ projects. Additionally, students will work alongside members of the W.E.F.T. program, a textile studio for adults with developmental disabilities run by TWM, broadening discussions around labor, value, ability and access |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Sculptural Basket Weaving | 3037 (001) | Kate Smith | Tues
3:30 PM - 9:15 PM In Person |
Description
In this studio course students will explore basket weaving techniques and their interconnectedness to the history and traditions of the craft. The class will utilize both traditional and non-traditional methods and materials to investigate new ways of creative expression while carrying the long, multi-cultural basket weaving tradition.
Readings may include Revered Vessels: Custom and Innovation in Harari Basketry and Hybrid Basketry: Interweaving Digital Practice within Contemporary Craft. Students will be introduced to Native North American basket weaving and the ancient baskets of both Egypt and Israel to bring an understanding of the contemporary craft through its historical origins. Artists such as Hayakawa Shokosai, the Campana Brothers, and Ruth Asawa will be a point of reference for the class as a way to connect their own conceptual framework to this traditionally utilitarian craft. Students should expect to produce a variety of technique-based samples as well as a midterm and a final culminating project. This course requires an artist presentation and assigned readings. Students will reflect on the readings with written responses to connect contemporary works with historical craft. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Knitworks: Sustainability & Community | 3045 (002) | Kristin Mariani | Tues
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course teaches students hand knitting with an emphasis on sustainable materials and practices. Themes of waste, re-use, recycling, and the redesign of pliable materials will serve as foundational concepts around which students will center their making. Students will learn hand knitting techniques, how to read and write knit and pattern languages, steeking, unraveling existing knits, rehanging yarn to reclaim fiber, needle felting for knits, crochet, crewel work, and hand-stitching techniques.
Historic and contemporary knits will be encountered through visits to SAIC¿s Textile Resource Center and the Art Institute of Chicago¿s Textile collection. Artists presented in relation to public action, community building, and sustainable studio practices include the works of Magda Sayeg, Ernesto Neto, Wells Chandler, Jesse Harrod, and Orly Genger. Class discussions will address texts by Alden Wicker and Rebecca Burgess, and consider local and global community fiber/textiles programs in relation to environmentalism. Assignments include readings, media viewing, discussions, explorations of knit stitches, and midterm and final studio assignments. Students will use existing and alternative raw goods and pliable materials, re-engineering them to create a range of project outcomes including 2-D and 3-D works, installations, performances and public actions. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| HARDCORE Repeat | 3106 (001) | Christine Tarkowski | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course examines theoretical notions of repetition in relation to ornament and image redundancy, putting those ideas into practice through studio practice. Students will consider the copy in relation to authenticity, and the ways reproduction can supplant¿or complicate¿the idea of an 'original.' A central focus of the course is repeat pattern production within the context of fine and applied art, with outcomes including design, sculpture, installation, and wall-based work.
Students will learn the mechanical aspects of building repeat patterns using both analog and digital methods. Screen printing on fabric and other pliable substrates will serve as the primary form of output. The course builds on and advances students' existing screen printing knowledge, introducing advanced techniques such as multi-color and CMYK printing, digital tools as a preparatory step for screen printing, and printing on fabric, paper, and alternative materials. Assignments, critiques, lectures, technical demonstrations, and readings will guide students through the course content. Students are encouraged to consider the context of their production in relation to high and low forms of culture. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Drawn to Print | 3116 (001) | Nia Easley | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
A drawing is created whenever an object in motion touches the surface of another, leaving behind evidence of that encounter. Students will generate images by examining a range of traditional and contemporary drawing techniques, with an emphasis on analog processes and material exploration. Whether one's style is gestural and improvisational or systematic and detail-oriented, drawing serves as a device for accessing ideas and expanding conceptual vocabulary.
Printmaking then becomes an extension of the drawing process, adding richness of surface, color, texture, and layering. A priority is placed on examining the physical relationship between drawing and printing, with a focus on direct printing techniques such as monoprinting, screen-printing, and heat transfers, alongside hand-painting and collage. Strong emphasis will be placed on developing a personal, innovative visual language and on challenging conventional notions of scale, site, and material. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Soft Logic | 3118 (001) | Nelly Agassi | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course focuses on the concept of softness. Students will develop projects framed by readings on affect, intimacy, radical softness, touch, and soft identities, teasing out what it means to be 'soft.' Students will be introduced to a range of hand-manipulated and machine techniques¿including reverse needle felting, latch hooking, tucking, stabilizing, boning, armature building, fabric heat manipulation, natural dyeing, flocking, and fringe crocheting. Students are encouraged to experiment with texture and form using these methods.
Two experimentation samples will be required to manifest these conceptual underpinnings through a variety of techniques. Sampling acts as a playful guide leading to two major projects, each accompanied by a written statement. This course also requires artist and reading presentations. Readings may include Sara Ahmed's 'Happy Objects,' Alexander Theroux's 'Soft Balm, Soft Menace,' and Sianne Ngai's 'The Cuteness of the Avant-Garde.' |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| FIBER: How to be an Artist at Night | 3917 (001) | Jess Atieno Ounga | Tues
12:15 PM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This professional practice course that focuses on preparing for all things life after school. As scaffolding throughout the course we will explore the text, How to be an artist at night by Raqs media collective to explore a range of questions and themes in art practice at the intersection of contemporary life. What constitutes an education for the real world? How do we grow a community that supports and is in conversation with our work? What are the professional skills we need to sustain our practice outside the studio? How do we write about, talk about and present our work? What are the practices of self care we can cultivate to fuel our creativity?
Other readings will include teaching to transgress- Bell Hooks, The Artist's Guide: How to make a living doing what you love- Jackie Battenfield, The Social Production of Art- Janet Wolff. We will also watch and respond to short films. Course work will vary but will typically include writing an artist statement, bio and exhibition proposal. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore seminar course |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| FIBER: Sustainable Practice/Sustainable Life | 3918 (001) | Stacia Laura Yeapanis | Fri
12:15 PM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This professional practice seminar emphasizes sustainability (emotional, economic, and environmental) as key for living artists. Each student will develop a sustainable work flow for organizing opportunities, documenting expenses, and applying for exhibitions, grants and residencies. Emphasis will be placed on sustainable material sourcing, both for environmental concerns and our own economic needs. Discussions and readings will revolve around how to keep making art, even when life gets in the way. Students will learn practical skills that serve their work (tweaking artist statements for various opportunities, developing and maintaining a website, ongoing research ) along with stress-management techniques (organized work flow, time-management, knowing when to take a break and how to rest more effectively, peer-to-peer support, dealing with rejection). This course will address the myriad ways studio artists get paid outside the commercial gallery system via recorded interviews with living artists. Readings include 'Art and Fear' (David Bayles and Ted Orlando) and 'Artists Gotta Eat and Other Things We Forget to Remember' by Tempesst Hazel. Past Visiting Artists have included Selina Trepp, who uses and reuses the material in her studio, and Sadie Woods, who is an artist, curator and DJ. Similar Visiting Artists will be chosen in future semesters. Each student will create a personal opportunities database, create a submission for the opportunity of their choice, write an artist statement, bio and CV, build a portfolio website, give an artist talk and develop a sustainable plan for sourcing materials and managing stress.
PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Sophomore seminar course |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Advanced Woven Structure | 4003 (001) | Kira Dominguez Hultgren | Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This intensive studio course will focus on weaving and its relation to the evolving landscapes of contemporary art, cultural production, and identity. Working with multi-harness floor looms, students will engage rigorous conceptual questions in abstraction, figuration, sculptural form, spatial intervention, performative action, technology, and language to develop a mature body of woven work. Vocabulary will be expanded through the study of complex woven constructions, digital drafting, and dye processes. Feminist, queer, and decolonial approaches to weaving will be introduced and encouraged. Designed for advanced students, this course engenders an interdisciplinary weaving practice by blurring the boundaries between fiber, critical craft, painting, material culture, sculpture, textile history, architecture, and technology studies.
Students will consider the history and the future of the field through a varying roster of artists including significant figures such as Sheila Hicks, Lenore Tawney, Magdalena Abakanowicz, and Olga de Amaral alongside contemporary generations such as Sonya Clark, Miguel Arzabe, Diedrick Brackens, Erin M. Riley, Josh Faught, Samantha Bittman, and Cecilia Vicuña. This work will be supported by texts that typically include Anni Albers, Legacy Russel, T'ai Smith, Julia Bryan-Wilson, and César Paternosto. Critical discussion of core texts and individualized research will occur in tandem with weekly studio activity. Students will produce a series of studies and 2 - 4 fully realized woven works that will be developed through in-process discussions and presented in major critique settings. This course facilitates self-directed investigation of concept and technique in hand weaving. PrerequisitesFIBER 2002 or Junior & above |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Advanced Fiber and Material Studies Studio | 4005 (001) | L Vinebaum, Nia Easley | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course provides an interdisciplinary forum for in-depth critiques and exploration of students' individual directions within the context of contemporary art. This is a team-taught class and will utilize both instructors for critiques and group activities. Emphasis is on individual studio practice and the development of a more cohesive body of work within a faculty mentorship and peer-to-peer learning structure. Technical and conceptual input will be provided on a tutorial basis. Group discussions, readings, field trips to current exhibitions, and visiting lecturers augment this class. Professional practices will focus on the creation and display of discrete objects and/or installation work for the BFA Exhibition, supported by developing or refining a professional resume and an artist statement. Documentation of individual work for inclusion on the Fiber & Material Studies web page is also required. The print, dye, sewing, and mixed media facilities of the department are available to enrolled students to use. This class is for a minimum of 6 credit hours and is held weekly over a two-day period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open to Juniors and Seniors with instructor permission and signature. Course work varies but typically includes the production of major studio projects for critique, student presentations, professional development assignments, documentation of work, and the installation of work in the class display case and an open studio event.
PrerequisitesOpen to students at Junior level and above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Advanced Fiber and Material Studies Studio | 4005 (001) | L Vinebaum, Nia Easley | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course provides an interdisciplinary forum for in-depth critiques and exploration of students' individual directions within the context of contemporary art. This is a team-taught class and will utilize both instructors for critiques and group activities. Emphasis is on individual studio practice and the development of a more cohesive body of work within a faculty mentorship and peer-to-peer learning structure. Technical and conceptual input will be provided on a tutorial basis. Group discussions, readings, field trips to current exhibitions, and visiting lecturers augment this class. Professional practices will focus on the creation and display of discrete objects and/or installation work for the BFA Exhibition, supported by developing or refining a professional resume and an artist statement. Documentation of individual work for inclusion on the Fiber & Material Studies web page is also required. The print, dye, sewing, and mixed media facilities of the department are available to enrolled students to use. This class is for a minimum of 6 credit hours and is held weekly over a two-day period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open to Juniors and Seniors with instructor permission and signature. Course work varies but typically includes the production of major studio projects for critique, student presentations, professional development assignments, documentation of work, and the installation of work in the class display case and an open studio event.
PrerequisitesOpen to students at Junior level and above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Digital Jacquard Weaving: Zeroes and Ones | 4017 (001) | Erica Littlejohn | Sat
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM In Person |
Description
The computer driven Jacquard goes beyond the limitations of a floor loom by interfacing with a computer to allow for direct control of individual threads. This course explores the historical and conceptual interstices of digital technology and hand weaving through the use of this loom. Utilizing Photoshop and Jacquard weaving software, students realize projects that begin with digital source material and result in hand woven constructions. The strongly debated connection between the Jacquard loom's use of punched cards and the history of computers is central to the course, as is the contemporary use of the loom as a new media tool. Studio work blends work at the computer, weaving on the loom, reading, research and critical discussion. A personal laptop computer is required for this course.
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Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Micro/Macro Textiles: Artist Research | 4018 (001) | Isaac Facio | Sat
1:00 PM - 3:45 PM In Person |
Description
This seminar will use the Textile Resource Center as source material to explore artist research practices. An emphasis will be placed on slow looking and hands-on study of objects to gain an understanding of textile and fiber structures, material choices, modes of fabrication and production, while assessing larger frames of cultural context, meaning and metaphor. Through thoughtful guided close observation, we will learn about the complex lives of objects and the stories that they tell us to inspire and act as a foundation for our own creative work. Classroom guests will include artists and scholars from areas in conservation, science and technology, and anthropology to extend our perspectives in how we view and understand objects. We will take field trips behind the scenes at the Art Institute, and also address topics in fiber morphology and mechanics, microscopy, collections care, exhibition, installation, curation, and collections management. Students will be expected to develop studio work, written research, and class presentations. Exploring these materials through drawing, notation, photography, video, live action, and remaking will be considered.
PrerequisitesOpen to students at Junior level and above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Advanced Papermaking | 4027 (001) | Angela Davis Fegan | Fri
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
A detailed exploration of contemporary handmade paper techniques and fibers with an emphasis on development on a body of work that ties students¿ existing studio practice to production of handmade paper objects. Building on the knowledge of the fibers introduced in Papermaking 1 (cotton, abaca and mulberry), although not a prerequisite, students will be introduced to three additional fibers (flax, hay, and sisal) while exploring production methods that lend themselves to creating imagery and language. Each lecture will focus on a specific fiber or production method (i.e. stenciling, pulp throwing, pigment).
This course deepens familiarity with production methods through self directed conceptual projects, experiment with additional high cellulose fibers and use handmade paper as an essential component of your studio practice. Students will investigate material relevant to their interests, cook fibers, and beat their own paper pulp with the valley beater. PrerequisitesOpen to students at Junior level and above. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentArea of StudyLocation |
| Advanced Stitch | 4105 (001) | Melissa Leandro | Wed
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This advanced course investigates stitching as a critical and material practice for transforming the surface, structure, and meaning of textiles and other pliable substrates. Students pursue a strong personal direction while developing technical vocabulary alongside conceptual concerns, moving across hand stitching, embroidery, needlework, beading, free motion sewing, hand and machine quilting on long arm machines, digital embroidery design and output, and fabric dyeing or dispersion methods. The course explores gesture, line, speed, slowness, process, and materiality, with emphasis on surface manipulation, scale, and the relationship between material knowledge and conceptual meaning.
Emphasis is placed on independent, self-directed studio work, using technical processes as tools for inquiry rather than ends in themselves. Lectures, visiting artist talks, field trips, equipment tutorials, and readings situate student work within broader discourses around labor, domesticity, identity, materiality, and the politics of craft. Group critiques, peer reviews, and one-on-one faculty advising support individual goals while fostering dialogue about contemporary issues in the field. Coursework includes critiqued projects, technical samples, and reading responses. PrerequisitesFIBER 2005 or Sophomore Level |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| FIBER: Adv Fiber & Mat Studies Studio | 4908 (001) | L Vinebaum, Nia Easley | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course provides an interdisciplinary forum for in-depth critiques and exploration of students' individual directions within the context of contemporary art. This is a team-taught class and will utilize both instructors for critiques and group activities. Emphasis is on individual studio practice and the development of a more cohesive body of work within a faculty mentorship and peer-to-peer learning structure. Technical and conceptual input will be provided on a tutorial basis. Group discussions, readings, field trips to current exhibitions, and visiting lecturers augment this class. Professional practices will focus on the creation and display of discrete objects and/or installation work for the BFA Exhibition, supported by developing or refining a professional resume and an artist statement. Documentation of individual work for inclusion on the Fiber & Material Studies web page is also required. The print, dye, sewing, and mixed media facilities of the department are available to enrolled students to use. This class is for a minimum of 6 credit hours and is held weekly over a two-day period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open to Juniors and Seniors with instructor permission and signature.
Course work varies but typically includes the production of major studio projects for critique, student presentations, professional development assignments, documentation of work, and the installation of work in the class display case and an open studio event. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Professional practice course |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| FIBER: Adv Fiber & Mat Studies Studio | 4908 (001) | L Vinebaum, Nia Easley | Tues/Thurs
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This course provides an interdisciplinary forum for in-depth critiques and exploration of students' individual directions within the context of contemporary art. This is a team-taught class and will utilize both instructors for critiques and group activities. Emphasis is on individual studio practice and the development of a more cohesive body of work within a faculty mentorship and peer-to-peer learning structure. Technical and conceptual input will be provided on a tutorial basis. Group discussions, readings, field trips to current exhibitions, and visiting lecturers augment this class. Professional practices will focus on the creation and display of discrete objects and/or installation work for the BFA Exhibition, supported by developing or refining a professional resume and an artist statement. Documentation of individual work for inclusion on the Fiber & Material Studies web page is also required. The print, dye, sewing, and mixed media facilities of the department are available to enrolled students to use. This class is for a minimum of 6 credit hours and is held weekly over a two-day period on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Open to Juniors and Seniors with instructor permission and signature.
Course work varies but typically includes the production of major studio projects for critique, student presentations, professional development assignments, documentation of work, and the installation of work in the class display case and an open studio event. PrerequisitesPrerequisite: Professional practice course |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Graduate Fiber and Material Studies Seminar | 5024 (001) | Jade Yumang | Thurs
12:15 PM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This seminar introduces incoming first year FMS graduate students to each other and their respective work and interests, the School community and resources, and the larger Chicago community, arts community, and local resources. Relevant historical and contemporary issues and concerns will take different thematic forms each year. Emphasis is on deepening one?s understanding of their studio practice through critical discussion and evaluation, and deepening one?s engagement with fiber histories, materials, processes, cultures, and politics. The seminar is always developed in conjunction with visiting artists' presentations and critiques, as well as readings, discussions, field trips, lectures, student presentations, and in-depth studio visits and critiques.
Course work varies but typically includes presenting in-process and completed studio work for critique, student presentations, reading discussions, and research/investigation assignments. |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Graduate FMS Critique Seminar | 5029 (001) | Diana Guerrero-Maciá | Tues
12:15 PM - 3:00 PM In Person |
Description
This seminar examines critique of studio practice in an open discourse style for graduate students. Each student will develop and articulate key concerns in their work during studio visits and/or small group critiques through writing, researching, material questions, and contextualizing their practice. We will evaluate the work within the studio and exhibitions in a respectful and productive manner through art historical context, social & political climates, process & skill, institutional frameworks, and experiences. Writing will be centered on individual practice, observation, biography, and deep looking of artworks. Additionally, visits with galleries, museum collections, and professionals in the field will be scheduled.
|
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Fiber/Material Studies | 6009 (001) | Krista Franklin |
TBD - TBD Hybrid |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Fiber/Material Studies | 6009 (002) | Lori Waxman |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Fiber/Material Studies | 6009 (003) | L Vinebaum |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Fiber/Material Studies | 6009 (004) | Nelly Agassi |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Fiber/Material Studies | 6009 (005) | Vincent Uribe |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Fiber/Material Studies | 6009 (006) | Yasmin Spiro |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
| Grad Projects:Fiber/Material Studies | 6009 (007) | Christine Tarkowski |
TBD - TBD In Person |
Description
Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.
PrerequisitesOpen to MFA, MFAW and MAVCS students only |
Class Number |
Credits |
DepartmentLocation |
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