From Canvas to Couture: Students Bring Museum Artwork to Life Through Innovative Clothing Design

USU’s Advanced Patternmaking class is asking students to design clothing based on artwork in the Nora Eccles Harrison Museum of Art. The class has used NEHMA for inspiration with this assignment for the last five years. The public can see these clothing creations in person at 4-6 p.m. April 6 at NEHMA.

The Advanced Patternmaking class provides opportunities for students to explore artworks in profound ways. Some students use the colors and patterns in a painting and as the basis of their apparel designs. Others use the historical context of a sculpture to create a garment with similar ties to history. The class encourages students to use the elements of art and design to imbue a piece of clothing with meaning and substance.

“This project is a favorite for my students every semester because they get to think about design in a new way,” said Melissa Clark, instructor of the Advanced Clothing Studies class. “For most class projects, the students are looking at target markets and current trends to design apparel. When they come to the museum, they get to think about clothing design as an art form and see how apparel design and art relate. They think about how the art makes them feel and what concepts they think the artist is trying to portray. Then they have the opportunity to translate that into a clothing piece.”

Admission to NEHMA is always free and open to all. Parking is available in the free museum parking stalls and at the Gateway Terrace. For more information, go to visit artmuseum.usu.edu or contact Shaylee Briones. shaylee.briones@usu.edu, 435-797-0227.