Saturday, September 27, 2014

Courses are difficult to fill this fall at local Community Colleges...busy schedules - a sign of the times, or is the economy affecting every aspect of our lives?

Japanese Boro Textile, 1901, Part of a bedding collection
So Fall 2014 is here, officially... and that usually means a lot of preparation for classes at St. Lawrence College. Not so much this fall, and I still am wondering if that is a blessing or very sad news. The TEXTILE ART: History, Diversity and Technique course had seven eager students registered - but a NO GO as the college requires a minimum of NINE students to run their courses.

Of course I am disappointed - not for me, but because four of the seven were all new to the Program, and that is an awesome and very welcome opportunity for any College Program. The timing or the topic??? Textile art history is seen as a whatever type of subject today..but you missed the study of BORO Textiles - hoping you will do a bit of personal research and develop the same love of these heritage Japanese textiles that I have.

I am hoping that by canceling the course we have not totally discouraged these students from joining in on the fun, the collegiality and the camaraderie of being in the classroom with other like-minded students and new friends. Our Textile Design Program is one of only three in Canada offering students 10 courses toward a diploma. Our graduates have gone on to make their way in the world of exhibition, design development, travel to teach and certainly successful sales of their work.
  
Boro Kimono, 1909, private collection

THANK YOU to the seven students who registered, and I so hope you will watch the College Website and join us again when a course that meets your academic needs is posted. I welcome your contact at textiledesignslc@gmail.com and hope to see you again soon!

Watch the website here for news of winter courses I will be sharing both at St. Lawrence College and on my own at Odessa Fairgrounds, sponsored by FIBREWORKS KINGSTON.

Bethany
Professor, Textile Design