Eco printing is the process of using plant material containing natural dyes to create unique patterns on fabric.
During this class, students will design and create their own eco printed silk scarf. Printing materials will be provided, but students can feel free to bring colored leaves and blossoms to use in their compositions.
This class will cover:
- The fundamentals of the natural dye process
- Plants and the qualities of plants that make good dyes
- Tips for foraging on your own and sourcing materials
This program meets in person at the Arboretum.
Instructor: Katie Vota, art professor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Age: 16 and older
Course number: A040
Instructor
Katie Vota, art professor, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Katie Vota is a Chicago-based artist using traditional textile techniques to create sculptural and woven dreamscapes that engage viewers in ideas of touch, pleasure, and the roles we play in shaping the world around us. By collecting cast-off objects and scavenging colors from nature, she transforms materials to create wholes from smaller parts, finding softness in many forms, textures, colors, and patterns based in cloth and, in living. Vota received her BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (2010, magna cum laude) and a studio MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2015). She was awarded a US Student Fulbright Grant (2011–2012) to study traditions of Andean back-strap weaving and natural dyeing in Cusco, Peru, with the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco. Vota has exhibited in numerous solo and juried exhibitions. Her newest work focuses on the sea, juxtaposing the idealization of these images with the lived reality of our polluted water systems.
What to Know
This program meets indoors.
Printing materials will be provided, but students can feel free to bring colored leaves and blossoms to use in their compositions.
This program is intended for all skill levels.
Program Schedule
Wednesday, September 10, 2025, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Classroom E, Thornhill Education Center (Parking Lot 21), West Side
