TextileX Talk Preeti Gopinath

Preeti Gopinath is the founding Director of the MFA Textiles program at Parsons. The program was originally envisioned by legendary trend forecaster and former Dean of Hybrid Studies at the New School- Li Edelkoort, with a mission to create a community of conscious textile makers who use textiles to bring about meaningful change in a world of mindless consumption, unsustainable production and irreversible waste generation. 

In this talk, Preeti will feature examples of students’ work that demonstrate how they are devoted to promoting authenticity, originality and unique creativity in the field of textiles as their students strive for their own voice and ultimate potential as professional textile makers, artists and designers. Valuing humanity and the environment through conscious making and innovation, they are harnessing the power of textiles to raise awareness and transform art, industry, and society.

The Parsons MFA Textiles program fosters community and draws forth individual creativity, enabling each student to realize their unique identity while receiving technical, conceptual and personalized guidance. Supported and mentored by an exceptional team of faculty, students in this graduate program are creating groundbreaking, award-winning, hybrid textiles that integrate timeless philosophical principles with craft and technology, on the bedrock of sustainability, social justice, beauty, and wellbeing. Dissolving the boundaries between technology and craft, they investigate the dynamics of materials and systems, and prepare students for the growing array of creative and professional opportunities related to textiles in fashion design, product design, interior design, textiles research, set design, fine arts, architecture, performance, speculative design, and interdisciplinary fields.

TextileX Talks

In an effort to continue to promote exchanges between the Portland textile community and beyond we’ve put together a series of TextileX Talks highlighting inspiring projects and voices addressing the theme of Regeneration. These talks feature innovative educators, artists, designers, and archivists whose work has inspired and will inform this year’s topic of Regeneration.