The Textile Art Studio will host an open studio event Friday to promote both graduate and undergraduate students’ textile techniques and artistic abilities.

Art professor Janice Lessman-Moss said the annual open studio initially began to introduce fashion students to the textile lab. She said the open studio seeks to promote the building and its students to other art and fashion majors who may not know about the studio.

“We have a range of textile processes that create art,” Lessman-Moss said. “We’re kind of invisible in the School of Art. Some don’t associate textiles with art. I like to get the art students over to see what we’re doing.”

Brittni Stump, senior craft major, said a unique aspect of the studio is the equipment, which includes fabric-weaving dobby looms and Jacquard looms.

“We are the only university in the country to have two of these Jacquard machines,” Stump said. “All fabric and yarns and a few more obscure materials that are harder to find are all available in the studio storeroom.”

Bolts of silk, cotton and jersey are available through the studio.

“It’s a wonderful place that I feel people don’t realize is actually there,” Stump said. “We have very accommodating spaces for each avenue of work a student would want to pursue.”

Kelsey Leib, senior crafts major, said students will spin wools, silk and other fabric during the open studio for interested on-goers to have a firsthand look at textile artists in action.

“Open studio is a chance for students to see the wide range of possibilities in textiles,” Leib said. “I think this event would be informative for anyone, but especially anyone interested in fashion or interior design, where fabric is such a big part of the field.”

Contact Joanna Kamvouris at [email protected]