Hillestad exhibition highlights Costa Rican history

“A través de los años: Costa Rican History through Conceptual Apparel Design,” a graduate student thesis exhibition, runs from March 13 through March 24 in the Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus.

The general public and the university community are invited to attend an opening reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. March 13.

“A través de los años” represents the socioeconomic transformation of Costa Rica over many centuries. Through the appropriation of information and knowledge about the country’s evolution, Katherine Rodriguez classified Costa Rica’s history into five socioeconomic periods, emphasizing the most relevant and inspirational elements from each one. Those elements were translated into digital design prints that, combined with other textiles and mixed media techniques, were used for the development of five conceptual garments.

Costa Rica’s evolution as a nation has been determined by major events such as the region’s colonization in the 15th century and the abolition of the national army in 1948. Costa Rican culture today is idiosyncratic, an amalgam of many historic and socio-political influences. The Pre-Columbian Period, the Coffee Oligarchy, the Banana Enclave, the Welfare State, and, more recently, the Costa Rican “Green” and Eco-tourism movements define a nation that evinces increasing self-confidence as one of Central America’s strongest economies.

Rodriguez is a Fulbright student scholar pursuing a Master of Arts degree in apparel and textile design in the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design in the College of Education and Human Sciences. For her thesis project, she created a collection consisting of five original conceptual garments under the oversight of assistant professor Sandra Starkey.

The Robert Hillestad Textile Gallery’s exhibition program is a teaching and outreach effort of the Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion. The gallery is located on the second floor of the Home Economics Building, 1650 N. 35th St. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment. Admission is free. Guest parking is available near the building, and metered stalls are located in the Nebraska East Union lot. For more information, click here or call 402-472-2911.