Acclaimed Fashion Artist Visits FIT Next Week

By  //  March 6, 2013

Nancy Judd To Speak On March 12

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BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts at Florida Institute of Technology is bringing a popular artist to town next week.

The image shown is called Recycling Fiesta by artist Nancy Judd, 2002. (Image courtesy of Sandrine Hahn)

Nancy Judd’s traveling exhibit called “Dress: Upcycled Style” will continue on display at FIT’s Funk Center through April 27 and the artist herself will will visit Florida Tech for a public lecture on Tuesday, March 12 as part of the Friends of Textiles Lecture Series.

Judd, an artist and environmental educator, creates couture fashion sculptures from trash through her business, Recycle Runway.

The lecture is at 6 p.m. in the Denius Student Center’s Hartley Room on campus; a reception starts at 5:15. Individual tickets for the lecture cost $10 each for the general public and are free to Friends of Textiles members and full-time students.

Environmental education is at the heart of Judd’s work— her goal is to inspire people in a positive, fun and creative context to live lighter on the earth.

“Over the years I have found fashion to be a surprisingly useful way of engaging people in thinking about sustainability. Fashion attracts our attention because of the connection that clothes have to our bodies, which allows me to connect with people on a more personal level,” said Judd.

Nancy Judd is an artist and environmental educator who creates couture fashion sculptures from trash through her business, Recycle Runway. (Image courtesy Recycle Runway)

Judd has been commissioned by major companies such as Target, Coca-Cola Co. and Delta Air Lines to create not only magnificent works of art, but also to convey the value of consumer consciousness and the future of our planet.

Her creations, exhibited worldwide, have caught the attention of major media including USA Today and CNN. In addition, one of her cre­ations, the Obamanos Coat, has recently been accepted into the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution.

The Ruth Funk Center will present 18 of Judd’s unique, thought-provoking works to the greater Central Florida community.

Regular hours for the Ruth Funk Center are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday,

The Center is located next to Evans Library on the Florida Tech campus in Melbourne at 150 W. University Blvd. Admission is free.

For more information, visit http://textiles.fit.edu or call 321-674-8313.