Eskenazi interior design faculty Hoa Vo awarded Amazon Research Grant for AI-driven design study
Hoa Vo, assistant professor of interior design, has received an Amazon Research Award through the Build on Trainium program to advance research at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and human-centered design.
Impulse Magazine reviews exhibition by architecture faculty Leticia Pardo
New York-based arts and culture publication Impulse Magazine reviewed work by Eskenazi School architecture faculty Leticia Pardo at the experimental exhibition site NON STNDRD, on the campus of the National Building Arts Center near St. Louis. "A Matter of the Invisible" features work by Pardo as well as Jeremiah Hulsebos-Spofford, fine arts faculty at IU Northwest.
McKinney retrospective "Re:Visit" featured on Indiana Public Media's "Nice Work"
Indiana Public Media's "Nice Work" team covered the exhibition "Re:Visit" at the Grunwald Gallery of Art. On view through November 15, the show includes pieces by artists who have been guests of the Eskenazi School's McKinney Visiting Artist Series over the past decade.
Installation by architecture faculty Leticia Pardo covered in Hyperallergic
A site-specific installation by architecture faculty member Leticia Pardo at the National Building Arts Center outside of St. Louis was noted in the art publication Hyperallergic as one of "six art spaces to visit in St. Louis" by founding editor Hrag Vartanian.
Eskenazi School hosts neuroinclusive design leader Kay Sargent for Interior Design at 100
The Eskenazi School's observance of the 100th anniversary of its interior design program featured a talk by neuroinclusive design leader Kay Sargent of the global design firm HOK. During her visit to Bloomington, Sargent was interviewed for Indiana Public Media's "Nice Work" podcast for a segment titled "One Size Misfits All."
Painting faculty Amanda Smith shows at Parkland College's Giertz Gallery
Painting faculty Amanda Smith is among five artists who explore their relationship with the outdoors in the exhibition "The Great Outdoors: A Group Exhibition," currently on view at Parkland College's Giertz Gallery in Champaign, Illinois.
Rural communities invited to apply for Indiana University's 2026 Rural Placemaking Studio
Rural Indiana communities are invited to apply for participation in the 2026 Rural Placemaking Studio, a program that connects Eskenazi School faculty and students with rural residents who seek to strengthen their community's quality of place through art and design.
Inside the art schools building courses around A.I.’s creative potential
The Eskenazi School is one of ten visual arts programs at US universities mentioned in an article highlighting courses and in some cases entire degree programs focused on integrating AI and other advanced technology as an evolution of studio practice rather than a threat to traditional methods.
Eskenazi's Johanna Winters on "how to get started"
Assistant Professor of Studio Art and puppeteer Johanna Winters shared thoughts on getting started creatively with Indiana Public Media's "Nice Work" for its inaugural podcast. Winters discussed her foray into puppeteering along with the ways she encourages Eskenazi students also to explore materials and ideas.
Merchandising faculty Garim Lee joins cohort of Mosaic Active Learning Initiative fellows
Garim Lee, assistant professor of merchandising at the Eskenazi School, is one of 20 educators from three IU campuses to be named to this fall's cohort of Mosaic Active Learning Initiative faculty fellows. The fellows will explore the concepts of flexible teaching and active learning in an effort to create more engaging, inclusive, and effective learning environments.
"Sprawl" at OWU's Ross Art Museum includes works by M.F.A. photography alum Jeff Nilan
Continuing its year-long exploration of environmental issues, Ohio Wesleyan University’s Richard M. Ross Art Museum will debut the exhibition "Sprawl," including works by Eskenazi grad Jeff Nilan (M.F.A. '99), who teaches photography, computer imaging, bookmaking, and 2-D design at OWU.
Student Spotlight: Design students bring vision to projects in Loogootee
Through the the Rural Placemaking Studio, Eskenazi school students Will Potter and Marilyn King have been working with community members to revitalize the Loogootee Historic Commercial District. The students appreciate the opportunity the project gave them to work in a client-facing capacity, "something hard to simulate in a classroom setting," said Potter.
A Matter of the Invisible: Pardo's installation cited in The Visualist
An installation by architecture faculty member Leticia Pardo at the National Building Arts Center near St. Louis is reviewed in the Chicago visual arts publication The Visualist, which notes that Pardo's piece "tether[s] the long histories of architectural relics and regional labor movements to present-day concerns of daily-wage laborers and migrant workers."
IU student Maisie Conrad ’27 finds creativity, career confidence as Merchandising major
Maisie Conrad (B.S. '27, Merchandising) has "been particularly inspired by coursework that brings the fashion industry to life," she said. Additionally, "studying in the College of Arts and Sciences has allowed me to think critically about how art, media, and commerce intersect." The Malashock Intern Scholarship complemented her coursework with invaluable career experience over the summer.
IU students give creative makeovers to south and central Indiana towns
Eskenazi School comprehensive design students showcased their plans to enliven downtown spaces in 16 southern Indiana counties through art and design at Thursday's Rural Placemaking Studio Open House. The initiative pairs design students with rural communities through the IU Center for Rural Engagement.
"Re:Visit" marks decade of exchange with international artists through McKinney series
Launching the Grunwald Gallery's 2025-26 season, “Re:Visit | Celebrating a Decade of McKinney Visiting Artists” (Sept 5 – Nov 15) will toast the rich interchange that the school’s endowed visiting artist series has fostered between an international roster of creatives and IU Bloomington students, faculty, and the broader community.
Edinburgh partners with IU for plaza design
Design students at the Eskenazi School are partnering with the town of Edinburgh, Ind. to reenvision a parking lot and adjacent building as a town plaza. The project is one of 17 in 17 rural communities for which students have been hired to create design options through IU's Rural Placemaking Studio.
Looking at clouds from both sides, now
Leaning into the experimental ethos of the Grunwald Gallery, artist Lauren Fensterstock, one of 11 veterans of the McKinney Visiting Artist Series whose work goes on view at the Grunwald September 5, has reimagined her cosmological meditation on "the totality of time" originally installed at the Smithsonian.
Eskenazi painting alum exhibits at Buckingham Palace
Luke Allsbrook (B.F.A. '95, Studio Art) is one of 70 artists over the last four decades to have accompanied King Charles III on a royal tour in one of 95 countries and regions. Allsbrook's panoramic painting of a Washington State landscape is included in a current exhibition at Buckingham Palace, which was covered by CNN Travel.
"Surface Noise" features Eskenazi faculty's letterpress posters
"Things we make by hand become inherently more important as there are fewer of them,” notes Eskenazi faculty Alexander Landerman, who creates posters using a traditional letter-press printing technique. Landerman's current exhibition at a gallery in Hancock, Mich. is the subject of a television news feature.
Interior design course makes classroom three-dimensional
Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Faculty Curriculum fellow works with IU3D team to bring new dimensions to Interior Design students’ classroom experience.
Filmmaker's 'Kaplowitz' documents Bloomington man with disabilities who influenced many
What if you had a crippling lifelong illness, your mother died when you were 11, and you had funding—plus an large assortment of generous, adoring fans, or "Bobbites"? You can find out in the documentary "Kaplowitz" by Eskenazi School alumnus Nate Crum (B.A. 2012, Studio Art).
Eskenazi School recognizes 277 graduates
On May 10, the Eskenazi School recognized 277 graduates receiving one of six undergraduate and graduate degrees. The ceremony at the Musical Arts Center on the Bloomington campus featured remarks by Founding Dean Peg Faimon and two student speakers. Relive the moment at the archived livestream when you follow the link.
Action + Agency: 3 Live Interviews
To complement their exhibition "YOU (Probably) HAVEN'T SEEN THIS BEFORE," the Grunwald Gallery presented a multi-faceted event featuring live interviews facilitated by Alex Chambers, host of WFIU’s Inner States podcast, about moments that embody a resistance to the status quo.
Inside Story: Designer Annysa LaMantia creates home interiors for the stars
Eskenazi School alumna Annysa LaMantia, BS’09, has an artistic vision for the future. As designer and creative director of the Atlanta-based Annysa LaMantia design studio, she creates home interiors for the stars.
The dean's remarks to the IU Eskenazi School Class of 2025
Eskenazi School Founding Dean Peg Faimon addressed a full house at the Musical Arts Center for the 2025 degree recognition ceremony. 277 students were awarded one of six undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Eskenazi School over the weekend. Read the dean's commencement address and relive the ceremony!
Rural design within reach: Sierra Mack-Erb's master's research
An exhibition by Eskenazi alum Sierra Mack-Erb at Illinois State University showcases their master's research on the social impact of placemaking and design in rural communities. Finishing an M.S. in cultural anthropology, Mack-Erb (B.A. Fashion Design '18) was one of IU College of Arts and Sciences' 20 Under 40 in 2023.
A breakdown of the 2025 Met Gala co-hosts’ fashion impact
Co-host of the 2025 Met Gala, actor Colman Domingo represents "the excellence of the traditional Black dandy" in a unique, contemporary way, Eskenazi Assistant Professor of Merchandising Cydni M. Robertson told Vogue Business for their coverage of the Met Costume Institute's spring exhibition and gala.
Bloomington sculptor reaches ‘punctuation point’ with her latest exhibition
With her life-size statue of Alfred C. Kinsey a firmly established fixture on IU Bloomington’s campus, two major commissions in the works and an upcoming summer in France, Eskenazi faculty Melanie Cooper Pennington considers her recent exhibition at Bloomington’s I Fell Gallery a punctuation point in her continually evolving career, reports the Limestone Post.
Painting alum Sarah Fazni is City of Bloomington's featured artist for May
Currently included in the exhibition "Emerge: Asian American Art in Focus" at the Cook Center, Sarah Fazni (B.F.A. '24, Studio Art) is the City of Bloomington Arts Commission's featured artist for May. Fazni is currently pursuing an M.A. in Arts Administration at IU's O'Neill School.
Reclaiming femininity through fabric and form: B.F.A. Abbey Niswander's sculptural journey
Abbey Niswander uses materials and techniques traditionally associated with women's craft to critique gender norms and to elevate these traditions to a fine art context. Niswander is one of 25 graduating B.F.A. students to exhibit her thesis work at the Grunwald Gallery this spring, with a closing reception on Friday, May 2.
IU senior Jenna Reed wins contest to design pregame outfit for Pacers star Aaron Nesmith
Indiana Pacers star Aaron Nesmith stepped out of the tunnel at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this month showcasing the talent of an IU Eskenazi School fashion design student. WTHR covered the story behind Nesmith's "tunnel fit" and the opportunities it has created for student Jenna Reed.
Amatria birthday brings hope, growth
Eskenazi School faculty Angela Caldwell, whose sculpture "Beauty is Everywhere" is on view in Luddy Hall, joined the seventh birthday celebration of the Luddy School and its living sculpture Amatria, which uses light and motion sensors to interact with visitors.
Bloomington opens Hopewell Commons, to feature public art by Eskenazi faculty
The City of Bloomington held an opening ceremony Wednesday for Hopewell Commons. The city's newest park occupies part of the former site of the IU Health Bloomington Hospital. "Undulate," a bright yellow, interactive public art piece designed by Eskenazi faculty Jon Racek, will be installed there in the early fall.
Rural organizations selected to partner with IU on creative placemaking initiative
Sixteen rural Indiana organizations will partner with IU through the Rural Placemaking Studio to enrich their communities through innovative public art and design. Launched in 2024, the initiative is a collaboration between the IU ServeDesign Center at the Eskenazi School and the IU Center for Rural Engagement.
IU Eskenazi School alum Sierra Mack-Erb (B.A. 2018, Fashion Design) is investigating "Rural Perspectives on Design" as a graduate fellow at Illinois State University. Mack-Erb is earning an M.S. in cultural anthropology in the applied community and economic development sequence.
"Inspired by Inquiry," M.F.A.s offer fresh takes on IU archives
First-year M.F.A. students excavated some of IU's 250 collections for fresh inspiration this spring. From pictures of a Christmas piñata party to fragments of Sylvia Plath's hair, the museum objects sparked new narratives in fiber, animation, graphic design, digital media, and sculptural installation, on view through April 25 at McCalla.
Designers transform trash into fashion at 16th annual Trashion Refashion Runway Show
Unconventional materials like burlap bags, a hammock, pop tops and underwear were upcycled into runway looks for the Bloomington Trashion Refashion Runway Show April 13. The Indiana Daily Student reported on the springtime tradition, a collaboration between community artists and students and faculty at the Eskenazi School.
Baby blue sweater for a 6-10 win span: Pacers' Aaron Nesmith's outfit made by IU student
On his tunnel walk before the April 11 game, Pacers' forward Aaron Nesmith sported a baby blue sweater with orange accents, a look created for him by IU fashion design major Jenna Reed, who competed for the chance to style the Pacers' forward at IU, the Indy Star reports.
Aaron Nesmith to wear outfit designed by IU student before final Pacers home game
From the sewing lab to the NBA: Eskenazi fashion design student Jenna Reed suited up Pacers star Aaron Nesmith for the final regular season home game last Friday, after winning a design challenge facilitated by an IU merchandising alum who is Nesmith's stylist. “What you wear says who you are,” Reed told Fox59.
Washington's Phillips Collection acquires painting by Danielle Orchard (BFA '09)
The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. acquired "Sight Rhyme 1," its first painting by Eskenazi School alumna Danielle Orchard (B.F.A. '09). Citing Orchard's connection to the legacies of Picasso and Matisse, the Phillips writes that "her work is contemplative and psychological, exploring the emotional and interior worlds of women."
Spotlight on the lighting designer: Eskenazi faculty Justin Bailey
Eskenazi School Associate Professor Justin Bailey (Creative Core) is one of 14 lighting designers in the spotlight in Dezeen magazine's preview of the Look Book exhibition during this year's International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York, to be held May 18-20.
WFIU's Inner States captures performance by digital arts' scofield
What should one whisper to an orange before peeling it? WFIU's Inner States podcast staged a performance of digital arts faculty clay scofield's "How to Preserve an Orange" and followed up with the artist to discuss play, experimentation, and being in tune with one's senses.
Putting for pages: Vonnegut prompts Eskenazi mini-golf challenge for Granfalloon
Given his taste for the absurd, Kurt Vonnegut himself might appreciate a mini-golf course that revisits the landscape and themes of his atomic-age novel "Cat's Cradle." Comp design students in Max Fertik's VonneGolf studio course captured the spirit of the novel in their installation for Granfalloon, to be previewed at April's First Thursday festival.
Carina Wang: her journey from design to sustainable fashion innovation
For Carina Wang, founder of Bloomswap, sustainable fashion isn't just a trendy concept - it's a mission that grew from personal need. A third-year student studying comprehensive design in the Eskenazi School, Wang is developing a platform that could revolutionize how students trade and reuse clothing.
COLUMN: Why the Berg Fashion Library is a valuable resource for IU students
Introduced to the Berg Fashion Library during last fall's Intensive Freshman Seminar, the columnist shares the value this IU Libraries resource provides Eskenazi School fashion design and merchandising students, including searchable archives of the history of global fashion and 100 years of Vogue magazine.
Architecture conference focuses on reimagining traditional materials with modern technologies
Architects, designers, craftspeople, students, and community members are invited to participate in AMT2025 (Architectural Material Technologies Commons) March 27-29. Held at IU's Miller Architecture Program in Columbus, the conference seeks to revolutionize an approach to material responsibility in architecture and design.
J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program students help design bus shelter
Columbus has teamed up with IU’s J. Irwin Miller Architecture Program for a new design for a bus shelter at NexusPark, set to be installed by the end of April.
IU students build Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle” themed mini golf course
Students part of a class titled “Vonnegolf” spent eight weeks planning, designing and creating five mini golf holes to bring to life at this spring’s Granfalloon Festival.
Two years since winning design challenge, Emma Taylor helms RSO, wins Abloh award
Back in April 2023, IU sophomore Emma Taylor was all over Instagram when Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton wore her design. This week, the RSO convenes another "Fashion Within Sports" panel, the networking event that originally gave Emma, now RSO president and Abloh Post-Modern Scholar, the high-profile design opportunity.
