Educational Background/Training
- BFA, Studio Art, Columbus College of Art & Design
- MA, Museum Studies, Syracuse University
- MA, Studio Art/Art Education, Morehead State University
- PBC, Instructional Design, UNC-Greensboro (pending)
About the Artist/Ensemble
Jennifer A. Reis is a textile artist who creates intensively hand-worked, ornately beaded, and embellished paper doll icons on cloth using traditional and alternative materials. She has a production textile line of Indigo Shibori art to wear and homegoods. Her artistic practice has been honored with numerous awards and prizes, including Kentucky’s Al Smith Fellowship, national adjudicated and invitational exhibitions, and teaching opportunities at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, John C. Campbell Folk School, Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, Cleveland Institute of Art, Society of Contemporary Craft, and the Southwest School of Art. Her teaching style focuses on collaborative creative making in a low competitive environment and former workshop participants describe her instructional approach as empathic, kind, supportive, and individualistic. A graduate of Columbus College of Art and Design, Syracuse University, and Morehead State University, she has multiple degrees in studio art, arts management, and art education. Currently she is a professor at UNC-Greensboro and resides in Martinsville, Virginia with her husband and an unruly pack of dogs and cats.
Educational Program Description
The following are samples of workshops I have taught in middle to high schools as well as arts and cultural centers. I enjoy working in creative collaboration with educators and arts administrators to tailor course content to fulfill instructional and audience needs. Additionally, I welcome the opportunity to bring in cross-disciplinary and community- oriented themes into my workshops. Please feel free to contact me to discuss further!
Introduction to Indigo Shibori Dyeing
This basic workshop introduces students to the magic of natural dyeing with indigo. Students learn how to prepare the dye vat; techniques of binding, stitching, clamping, and other pattern-making options; the dye process itself, and final preparation of finished products. Using functional items, students leave with napkins, tea towels, and/ or clothing of natural fiber (wool, silk, cotton) that they have prepared and dyed. (2 – 3 hour class).
Creative Clothing Mending Studio
Clothing that needs a refresh or mending is an excellent “blank canvas” for a variety of fabric embellishment opportunities! This workshop focuses on various textile methods like fabric applique, hand-stitching and embroidery, embellishing, and needle felting to upcycle personal items like jeans, wool sweaters, shirts, and canvas cloth bags. Students bring cloth functional objects that they will transform with individually designed and executed textile techniques. (3 hour class).
Mini Art Quilts
Fabric artwork including textile collage and art quilting are increasing incorporating the unlimited potential of using mixed media to enrich and enliven through unique surface design. In this class, embellished textile techniques like applique, quilting, thread and bead embroidery, and utilizing photographic images are just a few of art textile techniques students will learn and incorporate into projects in the course. Other techniques will include hand quilting, appliqué, principles of design composition, and presentation of textile art. Students will create two primary projects: 1) a technique sampler, and 2) a self-directed artwork utilizing textile surface design skills. Through the technique samplers, students explore how to utilize textile techniques to create fine art objects, and will learn the following skills: hand sewing, traditional and raw appliqué, hand embroidery techniques including text application, hand beading and embellishing with traditional and non-traditional materials, shi-sha mirror and sequin application, basic principles of color and composition, and presentation of finished artwork. Students will then develop, design, and create personalized mini textile artwork. (2 – 5 days).
Introduction to Hand Quilting: Pillow Cover or Wall Hanging
Hand sewing and quilting is a calming and accessible hobby that also increases understanding of composition and color theory as well as fine motor skills. In this class, we learn about and apply color and composition choices, fabric preparation and quilt structure, hand stitching, hand quilting, and project finishing options. Workshop can be tailored to create a wall hanging as an art object or finished as pillowcase top, and finished pieces are approximately 20 x 20” for ease of learning and completion. If a facility has sewing machines or wants to request students bring their own machines, the piecing can be done by machine reducing the length of workshop timeframe (1 – 2 days).
Audiences
- College/University Students
- Adults