Each year two graduate students are given the opportunity to work at GMD. I was lucky enough to have the position of Communication Assistant at GMD for the past year. Before working at the Goldstein, a career involving museums never crossed my mind. However over the past year I found that I really enjoy being a part of all that is required to maintain a museum.

As the Communication Assistant my main responsibility was all things associated with the PR for the museum, which encompassed a wide range of tasks. I started my experience at GMD with a crash course in designing labels for the exhibition Quest for the World's Best Baskets. The exhibition included over 300 baskets and the InDesign software was crashing about every hour, creating some panic on whether they would be done in time. I then took part in the planning and execution of GMD's fall benefit Mad About Design while being able to wear a dress designed by Lily Pulitzer. I also produced three magazines, designed numerous items for the museum, and tried my hand at web design among many other things.

I have truly enjoyed and consider myself fortunate for the time I had at GMD. Beyond the tasks that I accomplished the people I was able to work with were beyond wonderful and helped me grow and learn in my position and also in the classroom.

I am sad to go yet excited to see how the next chapter in my life unfolds and how my time at GMD will help me in my future.

-Sharlene Balik, Master of Arts in Graphic Design

Posted by balik005 at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 2 and May 4 were busy days at the Goldstein. The GMD staff, membership committee, and several lovely student volunteers joined forces to present a spring Behind the Scenes Tour and Tea. We planned, curated, baked, ironed the linens, polished the silver, and worked together to transform the fireplace room in the College of Design into a pretty restaurant-like setting for the English Tea.

The event attracted dozens of new members who enjoyed all they saw going on at GMD. They visited our storage facilities, spent time viewing our current exhibit in the gallery, and studied a small collection of exquisite 1920s clothing and objects presented by Jean McElvain, Assistant Curator of GMD.The event was topped off with a delicious tea service of scones, clotted cream, tarts, pudding, sandwiches, and five kinds of tea! Lin Nelson-Mayson closed the event with an introduction to GMD and a slide presentation for our new members highlighting the Museum's collection. Everyone left energized by the event and enthused about the organization they now belong to!

We loved the clothes, shoes and hats so much! It was very inspirational... We really enjoyed the specific pieces that were pulled for display, and our group had a lot of questions. It was so much fun to go into the wardrobes and see the rows of cabinetry, and our leader who pulled out a few pieces to explain them to us was knowledgeable and interesting. Our group was full of interesting people with in-depth questions, wanting to see the lining, stitching, detail and noticing every little design and layer, hem length and button, and asking questions about hair styles and eras and all.

--Attendee Comments

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Our current exhibition Redefining Redesigning Fashion: Designs for Sustainability has been a hit! Our attendance for the exhibition has been great but if you have not seen it yet, you only have 2 more weeks. It will be closing May 26th. I highly recommend seeing all the wonderful objects in person if you are able. But if for some reason you cannot make it here before it is gone you now have the option to view the exhibition online! Check out this new link on our website! It features the winning designs with descriptions and images of all the objects. It also informs you about the themes that were used to define how the objects are sustainable.

Click here for the website.
Click here for the website exhibition link.

Posted by balik005 at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fashion Redefined on Saturday, April 6th was an exciting all-day event dedicated to eco fashion! The event focused on innovative ideas presented by the current exhibition at the Goldstein Museum of Design, "Redefining, Redesigning Fashion: Designs for Sustainability," co-curated by Marilyn DeLong, Barbara Heinemann, and Kathryn Riley. This exhibit explores the creation of sustainable clothing by designers who respect environmental, economic, and social concerns.

Saturday, April 6th was a day of workshops and presentations for people of all ages. The opening ceremony brought everyone together for a warm welcome and included an interactive story by guest presenter "Auntie Beverly" as well as a discussion of the five themes of sustainability by the curators of the exhibit.These themes are: Emotional Connections, Repurposed Materials, Valuing Resources, Alternative Construction and Techniques, and Versatility. These themes were celebrated in different ways by each of the workshops and activities of the day.

There was a "Sustainability Boutique" filled with fun designs for sale by the workshop instructors and University of Minnesota graduate students. There was a clothing swap and mid-day fashion show sponsored by Sol Inspirations, a local non-profit organization that advocates responsible and sustainable practices.

The diverse offering of workshops ranged from Bengla (mud) dye techniques to a "Project Upcycle" sewing challenge to a discussion focused on sustainability in the industry and much more!

Everyone who participated in our "Day to Celebrate Eco Fashion" had the chance to learn new creative skills and ideas focused on sustainability and its importance. They also were able to find new ways to incorporate sustainable practices into everyday life. And they also, certainly, had fun!

Posted by balik005 at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1. Dress with belt, 1965-1969, cotton, Gift of Sybil Roberts Seay 2001.014.008a-b
2. Caftan, 1970-1979, Gift of Felice Wender 1994.007.004
3. Dress, 1960-1969, cotton, Gift of Margot Siegel 1978.020.005

In honor of fashion maven Lilly Pulitzer, who passed away on April 7, 2013, the Goldstein is celebrating her iconic floral print designs. Pulitzer, born Lillian Lee McKim, lived a privileged life amongst American "royalty." Herself an heiress, she eloped and moved to Florida with Herbert Pulitzer, Jr. in 1952. In 1959, for something to do, she opened a juice stand in Palm Beach. Needing a dress to camouflage juice spills, she had one made in colorful citrus tones. The dresses met with such enthusiastic comments she soon began selling similar designs at the stand. Priced at just $22, these dresses were, according to the New York Times, "accessible to most, but really wearable only by the few who were so rich that they could afford to have bad taste."

While some "Lillys" certainly raise eyebrows (see the gregariously-patterned caftan above), most are charming little sundresses, ideally suited for hot and humid Florida summers. The playful use of floral patterns and innovative textiles paired with simple, clean silhouettes produced a modern look that feels just as fresh today as it did in the 1960s. In fact, the Goldstein's own Communications Assistant, Sharlene Balik, recently had the opportunity to wear a vintage Lilly Pulitzer dress. In keeping with the theme of the Goldstein's fall benefit party - Mad About Design - guests were encouraged to wear 60s-inspired fashions. Of this experience, Sharlene writes:

"Circa Vintage, a boutique that has clothing from the 1900s-1970s, offered Goldstein employees the opportunity to wear their clothing for the night. I went to Circa Vintage and found a Lilly Pulitzer dress that not only fit me perfectly but also the "Mad Men" theme! The dress was covered in a pink-and-green floral pattern and trimmed with lace around the collar. The dress fit me like a glove. I loved the feel and it worked well for all the movement I had to do while helping run the party. Looking back at images from that night I have to say that the dress looked even better on me than it felt. It hugged the right places while disguising the not-so-good places. It was a blast to see everyone in their 1960's attire and I enjoyed fitting right in wearing Lilly Pulitzer."

Mallory Johnson and Eric Lagergren (Volunteers), and Sharlene Balik (GMD's Communication Assistant)

-- Natasha Thoreson and Sharlene Balik

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