University Open Air: Stitched Narratives: The Stories We Wear

Sat, Apr 26 2025
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Library for Arts & Culture

BPL Presents humanities and art University Open Air

In this workshop, we explore clothing as a representation of identity, tracing the ways our garments connect us to people, places, and memories. This session emphasizes the communal nature of cloth storytelling, inviting participants to share the histories embedded in their clothing. Participants will also explore the symbolic and cultural meanings of the objects we wear, uncovering how even the most ordinary items can evoke a sense of intimacy. Whether it’s a passed-down shirt, a well-worn dress, or a fabric scrap tied to a memory, we will weave our individual stories into a collective tapestry of experience and meaning.

Through facilitated discussion, participants will be encouraged to consider how these objects represent personal identity, memory, and self-perception.

Hilla Shapira is a Fiber artist, costume designer and educator. Originally from Tel-Aviv, Israel, and is currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Her work deals with the relationships between common design and body regimen. By making functional mundane objects she questions design norms and the political aspects of things. She has presented her work in Israel, Europe, and the USA including: Art Basel (Miami, FL), Philadelphia Museum of Jewish Art (Philadelphia, PA), NY Textile Month (NYC, NY), Jerusalem Design Week (Jerusalem, Israel), NY Jewelry week (NYC, NY), Little Berlin Gallery, (Philadelphia, PA), Depo2015 (Pilsen, Czech Republic), Neve Schechter Gallery (Tel-Aviv, Israel), Hansen House (Jerusalem, Israel), Textile Arts Center (Brooklyn, NY) and Wasserman Projects (Detroit, MI). She was AIR in Carrizozo residency (Carrizozo, NM), Popps Packing (Hamtramck, MI), Makerspace (Brooklyn, NY) and Neve Schechter center (Tel-Aviv, Israel). She received her BFA in Fashion from Bezalel Academy, Jerusalem, Israel and her MFA in Fiber from Cranbrook Academy, Bloomfield-Hills MI, USA. Shapira's work had been featured in different publications including: Hyperallergic Magazine, NY Jewish Week, Metalsmith Magazine, Portfolio Magazine, Haaretz, and the Jerusalem Post.

University Open Air is generously supported by The Morris & Alma Schapiro Fund.

hilla headshot
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Add to My Calendar 04/26/2025 11:30 am 04/26/2025 01:00 pm America/New_York University Open Air: Stitched Narratives: The Stories We Wear <p>In this workshop, we explore clothing as a representation of identity, tracing the ways our garments connect us to people, places, and memories. This session emphasizes the communal nature of cloth storytelling, inviting participants to share the histories embedded in their clothing. Participants will also explore the symbolic and cultural meanings of the objects we wear, uncovering how even the most ordinary items can evoke a sense of intimacy. Whether it’s a passed-down shirt, a well-worn dress, or a fabric scrap tied to a memory, we will weave our individual stories into a collective tapestry of experience and meaning.<br><br>Through facilitated discussion, participants will be encouraged to consider how these objects represent personal identity, memory, and self-perception.</p> Brooklyn Public Library - Library for Arts & Culture MM/DD/YYYY 60
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