Prague Institute Hosts First Fibers Studio

From the Spring '09 Issue of NC State University Design Influence

Susan Brandeis and Vita Plume co-taught a fibers studio in Prague for the first time during the summer of 2008 and used the location as inspiration for the work students would create while in the Czech Republic.

This studio course strongly emphasized observation and response to the city of Prague. Students kept an extensive travel journal/ sketchbook and experienced finding supplies
and materials in an unfamiliar environment and implementing ideas through small studies and/or finished works.

Brandeis taught surface design, sketchbook and design process skills in digital printing on cloth and embroidery during the first half of the class. She divided the Old Towne area of Prague into six pie wedges during the first week, assigning students a wedge for their investigation, for which they used photos and sketches to generate collages for inspiration. Plume’s half of the class focused on plaitingand tapestry, creating studies and structures on a small scale.

Together, Brandeis and Plume led the students, along with Prague Institute Director Dana Bartelt, on a Moravian and South Bohemian bus tour field trip. The area has a long history in lace making, weaving and resist-dyed textiles. Stops on the trip included the Textiles Museum in Ceska Skalice; The Moravian Gobelin Manufactory in Valasske Mezirici; the Lace Museum in Vamberk, where they saw lace being made; and a weaving mill in Strmilov where one-of-a-kind fabrics are made for clothing and household use.

At the Moravian Gobelin Tapestry Manufactory, the students had a hands-on demonstration in weaving pile carpet and observed the restoration of a 14th Century tapestry. This workshop also creates large-scale rugs, theatre curtains and wall tapestries, by artist/director Jan Stricek.

Prague Institute Director Dana Bartelt praised Brandeis and Plume for their work on the course.

“Each had done extensive research about what was going on in fibers in the Czech Republic before they came to Prague in the summer,” Bartelt said. “I was proud to ‘show off’ these two extremely knowledgeable and talented artists as representatives of the Prague Institute and NC State University to their Czech counterparts.”