PARSONS STUDENTS AND ALUMNI JOIN FIRST LADY FOR FIRST EVER WHITE HOUSE FASHION EDUCATION WORKSHOPNew School Delegation Invited to Temporarily Re-design White House East Room |
On October 8, a delegation of 31 students, as well as distinguished alumni, faculty and leaders from The New School’s Parsons School of Design were on site at the White House by invitation from the First Lady to take part in the first ever White House Fashion Education Workshop. Sixteen Parsons undergraduate and graduate students secretly spent two weeks conceiving and building a striking installation in the White House East Room as the backdrop for the day’s events and announcements. “I want to thank all of the students and faculty from Parsons who contributed to the installation today,” First Lady Michelle Obama told young designers at the event. “If you can sit at these tables and sit here with all these great people, you can do anything.” Underscoring the importance of design to the national economy, she said, “We are proud of you, our President is proud of you.” Parsons was selected both because of its leading global position in design education – and because of its Parsons Scholars program, which provides intensive arts and design learning to students from underserved New York City high schools. The Parsons Scholars program is a leading example of how arts education works. Initiated in 1997, this free, comprehensive, multi-year college-prep program aims to remove the social and financial barriers that prevent teens from diverse backgrounds from pursuing college and careers in art and design. The program has served over 300 teens to date, the majority of whom are the first in their families to do so. In the last year alone, over 90% completed the program and gained acceptance to college. “Through the Fashion Education Workshop, the First Lady has highlighted how design education can pave a path to high school and college graduation, and successful, vibrant careers,” said David E. Van Zandt, President of The New School. “From the Parsons Scholars program through to our graduate students and alumni, The New School community is a prime example of how design education can foster new opportunities for a generation of creative leaders and the creative economy.” The product of a rapid two-week exploration, led by Alison Mears, Dean of the School of Design Strategies at Parsons, Jonsara Ruth, Director, MFA Interior Design at Parsons, and stylist Helen Quinn, faculty at the School of Constructed Environments, the White House East Room transformation features works by 16 Parsons students. In the spirit of Mrs. Obama’s, focus on education, the group repurposed 600 discarded books to create a celebratory and sustainable installation - including a stage backdrop made from 4,000 folded pages, centerpieces and mantelpieces made from folded books, sculptural columns made from books turned inside out and napkin rings/bracelets made from laser-cut book covers. An elegant, transparent lectern welded from discarded steel was designed to showcase the First Lady’s dress. Local flowers and ferns were used to make garlands that complement the sculptural paper pieces and the East Room. The installation offers a metaphor for educational achievement: even within limited means of discarded books, extraordinary things can emerge. The 33-person Parsons delegation at the all-day event included ten Parsons Scholars, high schoolers from New York City studying art and design at Parsons who participated in a workshop at the White House; three faculty members; and The New School President David E. Van Zandt and Parsons Executive Dean Joel Towers. Reflective of Parsons’ leadership role in design education, the industry leaders welcomed by the First Lady include ten Parsons alumni, including NARCISO RODRIGUEZ, TRACY REESE, JASON WU, ZAC POSEN, JENNA LYONS and more. (Click here for a full list of Parsons alumni participants and bios.) Nelson De Jesus Ubri, part of the team of Parsons students who transformed the East Room, had a special connection to the day’s events: four years ago, he himself finished the Parsons Scholars program. A native of the Dominican Republic, De Jesus Ubri credits his participation in Parsons Scholars as a crucial step in his education. "Studying art and design and creating innovative professional work on this level would not have been possible without the unique opportunity of Parsons Scholars." Nelson said. "Being part of the East Room installation is a great honor, that Parsons made possible." According to a 2014 study by the Center for an Urban Future, opportunities in the design field continue to grow. From 2003 to 2012, the number of design firms in New York City alone grew by 20%, and cities across the country also showed expansion in the field. Founded in 1919, The New School was born out of principles of academic freedom, tolerance, and experimentation. Committed to creativity and social engagement, The New School today is the leader in design-inspired higher education, with more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students challenging the status quo in design and the social sciences, liberal arts, and performing arts. Located in the heart of New York City, The New School’s undergraduate student body is the most global of any U.S. university. Learn more at www.newschool.edu. |
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