Facilities
The textile arts area has a well-equipped studio.
For weaving, we have two 24-harness AVLs and a 16-harness compu-dobby AVL, plus 20 Macomber 8- to 10-harness looms.
For papermaking, we have a Hollander beater, hydraulic press and pulp sprayer, as well as vats and screens.
For surface design, we have a vacuum screen exposure unit for photo silkscreen (maximum screen size 70"x42"), a well-equipped dye kitchen, vertical fabric steamer, washer, dryer and sewing machines including a Bernina, Bernina serger and an industrial sewing machine and an Indigo vat in constant operation. In addition, we have a number of machine carders and a picker for preparing fleece.
The computer design work we are engaged in is increasingly interesting and innovative. The department computer labs are next door to the fiber studio and are used by most of the classes for weave structure designing and image manipulation and digital printing. Through collaboration with the photography area, we have access to wide format printers for direct digital printing onto fabric.