During the 2024 Spring Semester, Ricker Library organized a series of hands-on workshops that explored materiality and introduced patrons to the Ricker Materials Collection as a resource. It included the following workshops:
These workshops were made possible through the generous support of the School of Art & Design, Sustainable Design, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, and the University Library.
In the first hybrid event of the 2024 Material Means workshop series, we welcomed Material Driven, an international design firm and materials library, led by Purva Chawla and Adele Orcajada, as they walked participants through how to make their own bioplastics and bioleather from easy to find, sustainable, and edible materials. Note: Recipes and Instructions from this workshop are available on the Ricker Materials Collection Libguide under the Outreach and Events tab. [insert link] This workshop was made possible through the generous support of Ricker Library of Architecture & Art, the School of Art & Design, Sustainable Design, and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. The event was hosted by Siobhan McKissic, Design & Materials Research Librarian at Ricker Library and Kira Dominguez-Hulgren, Assistant Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
In the second hybrid event of the 2024 Material Means workshop series, artist and designer, Curry J. Hackett (Wayside Studio), gives a virtual talk on generative artificial intelligence. The presentation reflects on how his practice and research braids cultural studies and archival practices to discover emergent use cases for digital mapping and artificial intelligence. His work explores basket weaving, quilts, gardening, and other cultural modes associated with the American South.
This workshop was made possible through the generous support of the School of Art & Design and the Ricker Library of Architecture & Art. The event was organized by Siobhan McKissic, Visiting Design & Materials Research Librarian at the Ricker Library of Architecture & Art and Angelica Sibrian, Assistant Professor in the Department of Art, Design, and Art History at California State University-Fresno.
On April 13, 2025, Ricker Library led a nature walk around campus instructing participants how to identify materials to use as natural dyes.
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