Skirt Design Challenge

Kim Neeser is a spiritual and creative individual who is constantly inspired and changing with new ideas. She is passionate about creativity, keeping things moving, and “going deep” with others. She is a graduate of MacEwan University’s merchandising and visual arts program, as well as continuing education programs in residential interior design from the University of Alberta and Metro. She is also a member, artist, and curator for SkirtsAfire festival. With her free spirit and abundance of ideas, Kim is a dynamic force in her field. In addition to her education and involvement in the arts, Kim also has experience working in a family business as a drapery workroom manager at Rainbow Draperies ltd. Where she gets to work side by side with Edmonton’s finest seamstresses, interior designers, and builders fabricating custom goods for the home. When Kim is not working she is an integral part of a large extended family, mother of two girls Julia (9) and Isla (8), wife to Wesley, and a Low Roller league bowler at Plaza Bowling.

Tanya Edison is a multi-media artist from Nova Scotia who has worked in construction as a residential painter for over 25 years. She wants to see more women in construction trades and will talk about it to anyone who will listen. She believes everyone is a unique piece of art within their personal journey.

Instagram: @thestorybuilderworkshop

Materials Used:

Fair trade coffee packaging from Columbia
Packaging newspapers from various countries
Store promotional material provided by Village Goods
Postcard promotional material for ‘just one world global market place’
Table cloth from India provided by Village Goods
Christmas giving guide Mennonite central committee
Recycled pvc tubing
Material from Africa provided by Village Goods
Variety handmade bells from South America and Africa
Packing tissue paper provided by Rainbow Draperies
Reused canvas material

Artist Statement:

Personally, art and design is always based on what resources are around me that can readily be used without incurring financial hardship. Adaption is the foundation on which I put those materials together to speak for me. I look at the potential of material to fit into an elaboration of what I want to be capable of. Once I see that thing I want to say, I have to reflect on my own capacity to give purpose to the things I bring into my life. It is with a great amount of respect that I reach into a bag of recyclable materials, transported from another country, that I feel a responsibility to treat even packing peanuts with the reverence of marble. It is what I have and my design will speak to a combination of respect and adaptation. This skirt design was an organic process that evolved as the potential of each material were tested for durability, beauty and its ability to form to the structure.

Rebecca is an emerging, queer, POC theatre artist living and working in Amiskwacîwâskahikan, also known as Edmonton, Alberta. Currently her work is focused on set, costume, lighting, and puppet design. She likes to approach design with a hands-on approach and enjoys exploring and making discoveries with other artists. She believes in the importance of understanding the materials she designs with, and has experience as a scenic painter, junior stitcher, and puppet builder. She is a recent graduate from the University of Alberta’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Production, specializing in design and was chosen to participate in Citadel Theatre’s RBC Horizon emerging Artists Program. Her portfolio is available at https://www.rebeccacypher.com.

Materials Used:

Tissue paper
Craft paper
Wrapping paper
Plastic bags
Cellophane
Miscellaneous plastic and paper
Wire
Packing tape
Zip ties
Sewing supplies
Findings

Artist Statement:

I wanted to take participating in this design challenge as an opportunity to experiment and expand my practice. In my work as a theatre designer, materials are often purpose bought, used for a single production, and then left to collect dust in storage or thrown out. This type of practice needs to change to adjust to our changing world in the current climate crisis. In making this piece, I was able to explore the creation of textiles from reused materials, test their durability and usability, and consider future applications. This theme is reflected in the visual design of the skirt. I wanted to have some elements of the skirt utilize the materials in ways similar to textiles. This was a chance to see if I could create durable, usable materials from waste using techniques already available to me. I also wanted to investigate expanding my practice to creating art pieces that are whole in of themselves. My work is usually collaborative, and revolves around meeting the needs of scripts and shared creative visions. This skirt was a unique opportunity to create a piece that changes from wearable art to installation, with more creative control than my typical work. 

Megan Beland is a conceptual and visual fine artist who specializes in acrylic painting and intermedia art practices. Born and raised in the Canadian Rockies, she is now based in Edmonton where she received her Fine Arts diploma at MacEwan University in 2018 and her BFA at the University of Alberta in 2020. She is fascinated by how the passage of time impacts people and spaces, as well as how things exist and transform within the context of their environments. In her intermedia practices, her focus is in creating wearable art, serving as an extension of identity and experiencing the physical interaction of art with the body function as the performance element, the temporary portion which only exists in the moment. Her inspiration often comes from the natural world and from myths and fairytales, combining metaphor and reality. She also explores what is perceived as the “other” in society, raising awareness to persons with different learning abilities. Megan’s visual work has been included in group exhibitions at the Maggie Mitchell Gallery (Edmonton); University of Alberta Museums and Collections (Edmonton); Quenten Doolittle Memorial Gallery (Calgary); the Alberta Society of Artists (Calgary); and the artist-led exhibition The Fallow (Edmonton). She appeared in a group art performance at Latitude 53 (Edmonton) and a solo art performance at Parallel Space (Edmonton). Megan also produces numerous private commissions focused on animals, nature, and landscapes.

Materials Used:

Window tint
Reflective material
Reused plaid skirts
Bioluminescent fabric

Artist Statement:

I have titled this piece of art “ Flash On Persistence”, where a persistence for one to adapt and change is required. In response to the theme of adaptation, my shirt can be viewed in different ways depending on use of camera light and wear. Made from upcycled materials such as offcuts of window vinyl and used fabrics from second hand clothing stores, I started by deconstructing versions of plaid patterned clothing. This plaid created a base that I then built upon. I was inspired by the weaving seen in the plaid patterns and manipulated the vinyl material to create a fabric like structure. Through this process I was inspired by how the light was reacting to the vinyl and took it a step further and found a bioluminescent fabric and vinyl that reacts to the use of a camera flash. By using a flash on your camera the appearance will change. I wanted to create a skirt that can change its shape and appearance depending on how the garment is worn. I chose two different silhouettes for the skirt. One with the hood up versus with it down where it becomes a part of the skirt.