Textile artist speaks on indigo exhibit

Leslie Cusano

Artist Rowland Ricketts will present a lecture about his work with indigo dying tonight at 5 p.m. in Murphy Auditorium in the Kent State University Museum. This lecture is free and open to the public.

The lecture is coordinated by Janice Lessman-Moss, professor and Director of Crafts and Textiles.

Ricketts, a renowned textile artist, will speak about his woven work and use of traditional indigo dying. Lessman-Moss said he has studied and learned the process from the masters in Japan. He also creates some functional woven art, such as scarves and table runners.

“His work is absolutely stunning,” Lesmman-Moss said. “It’s very refined, with minimal use of geometric design.”

She said she was interested in having him come to campus for some time. When the “Mood Indigo” exhibit opened at the Kent State University Museum, she thought his talk would coordinate perfectly with the exhibit.

“He’s a real master of indigo,” Lessman-Moss said. “He uses it beautifully in the creation of his own art and is an expert in something that’s not used often in Western culture.”

The lecture is sponsored by the School of Art.

– Leslie Cusano