Overview of Fiber
Maryland Institute College of Art
The fiber department emphasizes appreciation and examination of textile structure, the expressive and physical characteristics of a pliable, flexible plane, and its use. The inherent properties of fiber, its long and rich history as a medium for both fine and applied arts, and technical developments in the medium serve as points of departure for experimentation and exploration by fiber majors. The department is concerned not only with the production and understanding of fiberwork itself, but with its interaction and connection to other mediums and materials, so you are presented with critical writings concerning fiber and contemporary issues in the world of art.
Majors in fiber at MICA explore both two- and three-dimensional approaches, though there is a strong sculptural emphasis. Many fiber students create work which involves installation, interactive performance, video, and other cross-disciplinary approaches. Conventional and nonconventional processes offered include dyeing, screenprinting, weaving, papermaking, the manipulation of three-dimensional form, pliable constructions, collage, assemblage, and sculptural surfaces. The department’s intimate atmosphere offers direct and personal contact with faculty whose groundbreaking, conceptually sophisticated work is regularly showcased in art journals and national and international exhibitions.
A new concentration in experimental fashion, open only to fiber majors, builds on the College’s strength in this area, offering a program that focuses on fashion as an art medium. Coursework developed for the minor also adds to the coursework available for all majors—including a series of brief, intensive technical workshops in such areas as draping, drafting, and sewing, and a number of new offerings in cooperation with other departments to allow students to gain a broader understanding of fashion and fiber in the context of culture and other disciplines. The availability of professional grade computerized equipment allows students to gain hands-on experience with these tools, and the software packages that run them. MICA’s Fiber Arts Center clusters independent and shared studio space with an amazing range of equipment for student use.
Careers & Internships
Alumni such as California-based knitwear designer Kate O’Connor have proven that MICA prepares students to leave their mark in the world of fashion, and professional development opportunities abound for fiber majors at such places as Betsey Johnson and Dye-Namix in New York, high-end New York fabric atelier Le Studio Anthost, The Baltimore Museum of Art’s textile department, Boekie Boekie/Poem Express in Rotterdam, CTD Studio in Manhattan, Donna Karan and Kate Spade in New York, maternity fashion house Mothers Work in Philadelphia, Mahlia Kent in Paris, Under Armour in Baltimore, the Fabric Museum and Workshop in Philadelphia, Artbyte magazine, Center Stage and the Lyric Opera in Baltimore, the New York City Ballet, independent costume maker Jessica Ford, and Troika, which produced costumes for Disney’s stage productions of The Lion King.
Distinguished Faculty & Visiting Artists
Fiber chair Annet Couwenberg and faculty member Piper Shepard were among 12 top textile artists to be featured in the Portfolio Collecton series by Telos Art Publishing. They were also recently featured in the major exhibition Radical Lace & Subversive Knitting, at the Museum of Arts & Design in New York. Visiting artists are top artists in the field: Allison Smith, New York-based fiber artist known for her sculptural installations and live art events; Pat Oleszko, performance artist; Virgil Marti, fiber artist; Mark Dion & J. Morgan Puett, collaborating artists who focus on the social and aesthetic dimensions of human experience & industry.
Facilities
Fiber facilities include Industrial and household sewing machines, sergers, computerized embroidery machines, looms (7 eight-harness floor looms, 13 four-harness floor looms, AVL 16-harness production computer loom, tapestry loom), a largeformat digital textile printer, manual & computerized knitting machines, pleating machines, large dyeing facilities including a steam cabinet, commercial openburner stove with four units, dressmaking mannequins, stainless steel wash-out sinks, a darkroom with a 60-inch wide light table for photoscreen work, washers and dryers, carding machines for felting, a paper press and slip masters for papermaking, and fabrics and dyes for purchase through the department. Fiber students also have access to a full array of studio facilities throughout the College.