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A Visit with Blackberry Hill Alpacas

4/18/2019

CHES Clothing, Textiles, and Interior Design students took a road trip to visit Blackberry Hill Alpacas, an alpaca farm in Anniston, Alabama. The trip was organized by CTD instructor Danielle Reaves who wanted students to experience the entire process of making wool yarn and envision the design possibilities of this resource. They got to meet the alpacas, see where they are kept, learn what they like to eat and how to shear them.They discovered how to take the sheared wool and prepare it to be spun into yarn. One student even took a turn at the spinning wheel. Students got to feel the wool, both on the alpacas and off, and learn which parts of the sheared wool are used and which must be discarded. Getting to feed and pet the animals was an added bonus that had many of the students wanting an alpaca (or two!) of their very own.

The visit ended with a trip to the gift shop which featured finished products made from alpaca wool. For the students who are participating in the 16th Annual North American Student Design Competition, which is sponsored by Alpaca Owners Association, Inc., this trip was especially valuable for learning the uses of alpaca fiber in fashion, textile and interior design. For a video of the trip visit the CHES Facebook page.

Students Light it UP

3/19/2019

Interior design instructors know how important lighting is to any project. They gave students an opportunity to learn from the ground up by creating their own unique fixtures. Their creations range from fun and whimsical to hard and angular and everything in between. What a fun project and a great hands-on learning experience!

HES instructor featured in National Magazine

3/6/2019

CTD instructor, Ian Crawford, teaches interior design students by day. Nights and weekends, he wields a hammer, a paint brush, a screwdriver and whatever else it takes to turn a neglected Greek Revival mansion into a work of art and comfortable living space. Southern Living took notice and an article about Ian's renovation of his Greensboro, Alabama home appears in this month's issue.

Bringing the White House to Greensboro, Alabama

2/15/2019

Ian Crawford, instructor in the Clothing, Textiles, and Interior Design Department, shared his knowledge about White House China with 80 members of the Osher Life Long Learning Institute. His talk included china, silver and glassware used by the early presidents. The lecture was held in the Greensboro Opera House.

Afterwards, OLLI members enjoyed a Presidents' Day reception at The Oaks, the Greensboro residence and ongoing restoration project of Crawford.

The party was made all the more special because Crawford enlisted the help of interior design students dressed in period garb.They donned red and gold livery jackets, served food and assisted OLLI members as they toured the house.

The menu for the event was a collection of presidential favorites, including jelly beans for Ronald Reagan and cherry pie tarts for George Washington. Cutting into a White House cake and serving it on reproduction White House china topped off a wonderful event!

Lessons on transforming an old space

11/28/2018

Lots of hard work, some outdoors at the height of a hot Alabama summer, went into a design project for seniors taking CTD 425 Advanced Residential Design. As part of a semester-long project, instructors had interior design students measure Tuscaloosa’s historic Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion from top to bottom and inside and out. Once done with that, they were tasked with creating a concept for the house, uses for each space and detailed designs for several rooms.

From music schools to private residences, each design was unique and expressed the creativity of the individual student.

The class culminates with Critique Week when students make mock client presentations in front of a panel of experts. The project represents a large part of their grade for CTD 425. More importantly, each student receives thoughtful suggestions from experienced professionals that will help them to perfect designs for their portfolios.

Another example of experiential learning that prepares HES students for success after graduation.