She Hath Put Her Heart to School

"'What a splendid day!' said Anne, drawing a long breath.  'Isn't it good just to be alive on a day like this?  I pity the people who aren't born yet for missing it.  They may have good days, of course, but they can never have this one.  And it's splendider still to have such a lovely way to go to school by, isn't it?'" - Chapter XV, Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

Well this summer just flew by!  One blink and it was all over...While I felt like I maintained a good balance between work in the interpretation office and around the village, catching up with friends and family, I didn't get to the sewing or blogging that I had hoped.  Nevertheless, summer was still summer with plenty of memories to cherish, and a renewed, refreshed self ready to tackle all that's in store for the upcoming school year!

Perhaps I'm on the road to Kent State University right as your reading this, or settling into Verder, my home for the fall semester, and welcoming the new roommate.  While I'm looking forward to another semester of all things costumes and textiles, the dual concentrations of my self-designed, Bachelors of Integrated Studies program, I'd also like to list my favorite places to visit on and off the main campus.  If you're new to KSU - welcome! - and if you're interested in costumes or textiles - awesome!  See you in the studios!

Here are my top seven "must dos" on and off the campus: 

(1) See the Kent State University Museum -  Located in Rockwell Hall, home to the School of Fashion Design and Merchandising, this museum of costumes, textiles and decorative arts features year-round, changing exhibits in its eight galleries.  I've been studying the images in their fabulous, online and fully digitized collection for years, but nothing comes close to seeing the extant garments up close and in person (which was one of the main reasons I chose KSU)!

The Kent State University Museum

Favorite exhibits from the past year include the permanent Fashion Timeline, which spans two centuries of historical fashions and rotates the featured garments every semester, or more:

My favorite from Fall 2017:
Evening dress of 18th-century-style silk brocade, 1840s

My favorite from Spring 2018:
Black silk faille dress trimmed with velvet and lace, early 1870s.

Another favorite from Spring 2018:
Brown silk taffeta dress with patterned velvet trim, c.1889 

The Fashions of the Forties: From World War II to the New Look exhibit, Fall 2017 semester:

Fashions of the Forties: From World War II to the New Look

Fringe Elements, which showcased exquisitely fringe-trimmed garments from around the world:

Brown plaid taffeta dress, 1850s

Pink and white silk taffeta evening dress, c.1855-1860

Gold silk dress with tiered tasseled skirt, c.1879-1880

There were two new exhibits in the Spring 2018 semester - Katharine Hepburn: Dressed for Stage and Screen and For the Birds, which is all about birds, their cultural significance and representation in Asian, European and American fashion, textiles and other decorative arts.  (No pictures, sorry!)  For sure, I'll be making a stop this week or next to see the new displays.  It's free to students, so come once, come twice, come every single day if you choose!


(2) Visit the many libraries on campus!  I recommend the 12-story University Library, which is open 24 hours to students on weekdays, the Fashion Library, which has thousands of historical costume and fashion books to pursue, and the Performing Arts Library.

The textile section is located on the 7th floor of the University Library

The stacks in the Fashion Library...
Never have I ever seen so many books on historical clothing!

(3) Spend some quality time in the studios!  The campus is full of fashion, costume, dye and textile studios for the majors and minors to work.  If you're like me, plan to never see the sun and drink lots of coffee on those late nights...

(4) Attend a free lecture!  There's always something going on, and I mean always.  Most, if not all of the colleges (and some clubs) invite visiting speakers, artists and professionals for workshops throughout the year.  I had the opportunity to attend a few of the lectures, including the award-winning costume designer, Paul Tazewell of Broadway's Hamilton, and costume conservator, Cara Varnell, whose incredible career has included corporate, private, museum and archival collections all over the world.

(5) Catch a theatrical production, concert or dance!  Again, free to all students, there's almost always a production - be it a stage play, one-acts, musical or dance - in the works at the School of Theatre and Dance.  The School of Music also offers nearly 200 orchestra, band, choir, chamber and world music concerts and recitals each year.  So, if you're looking for something to do in the evening, stop by the box office in the Center for the Performing Arts or online.

Outside the Roe Green Center for the Performing Arts

(6) Explore the campus - It's HUGE, like a city within a campus!  Very pretty too, especially at the front of campus with the older, historic buildings.  There's also a lot of art installations, including my favorite pathway which is lined in bookshelves with bench-style alcoves, a seasonal waterfall fountain, and a giant brain!  Be on the look out for black squirrels...

My favorite of the art installations

(7) Head downtown, or off the campus for a while - There's a great local cafe a few blocks away called Scribbles, a historic cemetery (if you find that peaceful or are morbid like me), and the neatest, kettle-hole bog with a half-mile boardwalk. 

Tom S. Cooperrider-Kent Bog
State Nature Preserve

If you're able to drive, Kent is near many other museums and big cities, including Hale Farm, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, to name a few.  After discovering that Greenfield Village is only about a three-hours drive as the crow flies, I'll be dragging some friends to see it with me! 

So with that said, I hope any new or prospective students may find these suggestions helpful.  I know (from experience haha) that it can be difficult to find an institution that supports such obscure, niche-specific interests like historical costume construction and textile production, but the opportunities are out there!  If you're thinking about majoring in a similar area of study, feel free to drop a line - I'm always happy to chat about our shared passions.

Here's to a fantastic fall semester!