Student Info
Name: Lily Piecora
Term: Fall 2018
Credits: 16
Title: The Impacts of Pigment: The Political Economy of Color
Contact Info
Sponsor name: Sarah Williams
Internship Info (if applicable):
Internship hours/wk: 40/wk
Internship credits: 0
Academic credits: 16
Subcontractor
Name: Marja Eloheimo
Program Description
Narrative:
This contract, The Impacts of Pigment: The Political Ecology of Color, is designed to explore the historical and current environmental impacts and human rights issues of the pigment industry, as well as creative sustainable alternatives to the current market. The student will develop this through hands on projects in producing natural dyes from ‘waste’ products in partnership with local community gardens, farms, community members and personal waste as well as foraging. The student will further deepen their understanding on the pigment industry by traveling to Oaxaca, Mexico for multiple natural dye workshops as well as visiting cochineal and indigo farms.
| Learning Objectives | Activities that will help me to attain this objective | What my sponsor will evaluate |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the environmental impacts and human rights issues of the pigment industry historically and currently. | Conduct research, read books and write blog posts with my findings. Continue creating pigment and plant profiles in a working journal. | My sponsor will evaluate my ePortfolio and journal. |
| Comprehend the market, movements and availability of sustainable and ethical alternative sources for pigments. | Conduct research into alternative solutions. I will contact, interview and visit sustainable farms, companies, organizations, communities and individuals that are working towards a more sustainable and just clothing industry. I will document all of my projects in detail through photography and written word with a media release form as needed. | My sponsor will evaluate my ePortfolio |
| To be well versed in natural dyeing techniques in general, specifically in creatively sourcing pigments from ‘waste’ products and foraging. | Create hands on learning experiences in solutions by creating and documenting my own experiments and projects with natural dyes and fabrics. I will gather my dye materials from local farms unused produce, personal food scraps, local foraging and some ethical sourcing from abroad. Continue building my dye book, recording samples of colors produced and textiles used. | My sponsor will evaluate my ePortfolio through instagram and weekly WordPress posts. As well as my dye book. |
| Understand the complex history of natural dyes in Oaxaca, Mexico and what it means for the market today. | Attend multiple natural dye workshops and visit Cochineal farms in Oaxaca, Mexico. | My sponsor will evaluate my ePortfolio through my instagram and a post about this trip. |
| Learning objective | Activity | Deliverable |
Evaluation of Work
- Narrative evaluations from field supervisor and/or subcontractor
- Narrative mid-quarter and final self-evaluations
- WordPress ePortfolio