NEW YORK—Printmaking, handcrafted soaps, needle-felting, and art robots were among the curiosities presented at the 13th street block party on Saturday, part of Parson’s Festival 2011. Students and staff manned the booths between the Fifth and Sixth avenues, granting insight to the workings of Parson’s The New School for Design.
The printmaking department displayed T-shirts with designs printed using different techniques, such as stencil, wood block, and screen printing, also known as silk-screen printing. “They all have their innate beauty,” said Kelly, a technician on hand to help customers.
The shirts were sold for $10 each, with the proceeds going to disaster relief efforts in Japan. “The students felt that art could serve a purpose other than decorating people’s walls,” said printmaking teacher Bill Phipps.
The printmaking department halted regular classes for a week, while people from outside the classes helped printmaking students with the project. They were able to complete 200 shirts in one week, with free T-shirts, ink, and silk-screens coming from donors. Thermographic ink, which changes colors at different temperatures, was used on some of the shirts, producing a seemingly magical effect.
Teacher Laura Sansone stood by a large swath of local wool, sheared from alpaca and sheep, and recycled clothing “needle-felted” together. Everyone was encouraged to needle-felt a piece of wool onto the artwork with a sharp felting needle. “What you are doing is making fibers twist and interact with each other,” Sansone explained to a mother and her two children ready to partake in the activity.
The printmaking department displayed T-shirts with designs printed using different techniques, such as stencil, wood block, and screen printing, also known as silk-screen printing. “They all have their innate beauty,” said Kelly, a technician on hand to help customers.
The shirts were sold for $10 each, with the proceeds going to disaster relief efforts in Japan. “The students felt that art could serve a purpose other than decorating people’s walls,” said printmaking teacher Bill Phipps.
The printmaking department halted regular classes for a week, while people from outside the classes helped printmaking students with the project. They were able to complete 200 shirts in one week, with free T-shirts, ink, and silk-screens coming from donors. Thermographic ink, which changes colors at different temperatures, was used on some of the shirts, producing a seemingly magical effect.
Teacher Laura Sansone stood by a large swath of local wool, sheared from alpaca and sheep, and recycled clothing “needle-felted” together. Everyone was encouraged to needle-felt a piece of wool onto the artwork with a sharp felting needle. “What you are doing is making fibers twist and interact with each other,” Sansone explained to a mother and her two children ready to partake in the activity.
Parson’s student Kelly patiently described the process behind making a bar of soap—after convincing this reporter to purchase one. She sculpted a mosquito-shaped silicone mold, cast mosquito-shaped bars in black glycerin soap, and then added essential oils before pouring the mixture into the mold. The assignment to create a three-dimensional object that evokes memories by sense of smell came from a class introducing students to 3-D objects. Kelly chose a scent based on her childhood memories of an Avon body oil that her mom used as a mosquito repellant.
The Upper West 13th Street Block Association joined in the party with an information booth. The association takes care of the block by maintaining tree pits, planting flowers, and cleaning graffiti off walls. Rosalie Lane and Jeffrey Ryan, residents of the block for 40 and 32 years, respectively, volunteered at the booth. They imparted knowledge dating back decades, such as a little-known fact that Manetta Creek, which goes all the way to Hudson Bay, used to flow through 13th Street.
The creek influenced the design of buildings like 40 West 13th St., which has an almost triangular shape with a narrow front on 13th Street and a widened presentation toward 12th Street. Lane and Ryan had historic pictures of the block at their booth, including one of Hearn’s, a famous department store, in 1934.
The band Moon Hooch closed the event with a performance that quickly attracted a large crowd with its unconventional lineup and catchy tunes. Mike Wilbur and Wenzi McGowen played the tenor saxophones, while James Muschler played the drums.
Parson’s was founded in 1896 and was originally known as the Chase School. It encompasses five different disciplinary schools and has associate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs in fashion, design, art, media, and technology. It merged with The New School in 1970 and is the largest of the eight schools within The New School. Parson’s objectives include “challenging conventions, anticipating trends, and improving the world,” according to its website.
The Upper West 13th Street Block Association joined in the party with an information booth. The association takes care of the block by maintaining tree pits, planting flowers, and cleaning graffiti off walls. Rosalie Lane and Jeffrey Ryan, residents of the block for 40 and 32 years, respectively, volunteered at the booth. They imparted knowledge dating back decades, such as a little-known fact that Manetta Creek, which goes all the way to Hudson Bay, used to flow through 13th Street.
The creek influenced the design of buildings like 40 West 13th St., which has an almost triangular shape with a narrow front on 13th Street and a widened presentation toward 12th Street. Lane and Ryan had historic pictures of the block at their booth, including one of Hearn’s, a famous department store, in 1934.
The band Moon Hooch closed the event with a performance that quickly attracted a large crowd with its unconventional lineup and catchy tunes. Mike Wilbur and Wenzi McGowen played the tenor saxophones, while James Muschler played the drums.
Parson’s was founded in 1896 and was originally known as the Chase School. It encompasses five different disciplinary schools and has associate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs in fashion, design, art, media, and technology. It merged with The New School in 1970 and is the largest of the eight schools within The New School. Parson’s objectives include “challenging conventions, anticipating trends, and improving the world,” according to its website.
