Collaborative Education: Community Based Art and Fashion Learning Applications for the Prolonged Use Phase of a T-shirt

Over a two-week period in 2017, an artist-in-residence, fashion and art faculty, and graduate and undergraduate students collaborated on a temporary art installation of soft and hard sculpture located inside of an academic building on campus, as part of the university's public art collection. Working together as a creative team, and involving the community, they built the sculpture, applying stainability practices through the extended use phase of the materials. In 2019, the fashion faculty led a second team to breakdown the sculpture and increase again the life cycle of the components by using them for two different community-based art and fashion education non-profit workshops that provide art and fashion learning for children in foster care. The project addresses some pertinent topics in relationship to teaching innovation, extending the use phase of materials, collaborative education. and community involvement and outreach. The artists personal body of work and statement behind the sculpture strongly involves using resources and collaborative involvement from the local community for his site-specific art pieces.