Graduate students in Colorado State University’s Department of Design and Merchandising will show off their original textile designs in a new multicultural exhibit that debuts on Friday, Sept. 26, in CSU’s Gustafson Gallery.

The textile items featured in the exhibit, Diversity in Textile Design: Works in Progress, were inspired by a diverse combination of cultures. Inspiration for the designs comes from West Africa, Western Saudi Arabia, and Victorian England, as well as from the world of microorganisms and the biodiversity of nature.

Each of the textile designs was printed on silk using state-of-the-art digital textile printing technology. Color is a focal point in the exhibit, both from an ethnic culture perspective and as an aspect of digital design technology.

Textile design provides a unique window through which to view diverse cultures and approaches to aesthetic beauty. Creating new textiles and clothing for exhibition, alongside the traditional ethnic sources of inspiration, provides an experience that engages students and the larger community in learning more about non-Western cultures, and has the potential to enhance appreciation for multiple cultural approaches to design.

The exhibit opens Friday, Sept. 26, with a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. The textile designers will be in attendance to interact with gallery viewers about their work.

The Gustafson Gallery, part of the Department of Design and Merchandising in the College of Health and Human Sciences, is located in room 318 of the Gifford Building on Lake Street on the CSU campus. The Gallery is part of the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free. The exhibit will be on display through Nov. 14.