The Kent State University Museum has announced a new partnership with the Fabric Pantry, a Kent State student organization that provides free fabric to university students. Advancing accessibility and environmental sustainability, this partnership represents a unique collaborative model for museum practice.
Founded in 2022 by students in Kent State’s renowned School of Fashion, the Fabric Pantry increases access to materials for students. As the only textile resource on campus, it offers a wide selection of donated fabrics and textiles to students – at no cost – on a monthly basis. Donations come from local individuals and small businesses, helping reduce textile waste by repurposing existing fabrics for student use.
When the museum’s new director, Sarah Spinner Liska, Ph.D., J.D., learned about the Fabric Pantry, she eagerly embraced its mission. Appointed in July 2024, Spinner Liska is working to expand student and community engagement around a vision of inclusivity and sustainability. This new partnership will feature a series of six programs over the academic year, fostering student dialogue on inclusivity and sustainability while expanding resources and access to the Fabric Pantry.
“I am thrilled to launch this partnership with the Fabric Pantry to advance inclusivity and sustainability,” Spinner Liska said. “The extraordinary passion, purpose and creativity of these students is inspiring and catalyzing positive change across campus.”
“We are flourishing thanks to Sarah,” said Pearl Heinley, a fourth-year Kent State fashion design student from Austin, Texas, and co-founder of the Fabric Pantry. “The dedication of our student members and the support of our community have allowed us to reach new heights and access opportunities we could only dream of a year ago.”
Evelyn Snyder, president of the Fabric Pantry and a fourth-year Kent State fashion design student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, said, “Partnering with the museum is one of the many ways we are providing all students with sustainable resources and valuable opportunities to be part of the fashion school.”
The program series, sponsored by museum supporter Ken Robinson, is free and open to students and will include dialogue about sustainability at the museum and the opportunity to source materials from the Fabric Pantry. The first program will be held on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will continue five additional Fridays throughout the spring semester: Jan. 24, Feb. 21, March 21, April 11 and May 2, 2025.
ABOUT THE KENT STATE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM
The Kent State University Museum holds one of the world’s most important collections of fashion, textile and decorative arts, spanning the mid-1700s through the present day. With a historic collection of over 30,000 objects, the museum offers invaluable firsthand experiences for both the university community and the broader public.
The museum is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and $5 for children ages 5 to 18. The museum is free for children under 5 and for those with a Kent State ID. Sunday admission is free for all ages. Parking is free for all museum attendees. For more information, please call 330-672-3450 or visit www.kent.edu/museum.
ABOUT THE FABRIC PANTRY
The Fabric Pantry is a nonprofit student organization at Kent State University dedicated to providing free fabric to students. Sourced from community donations around Kent, Ohio, the organization’s mission is to offer essential materials that might otherwise go to waste. It is the only fashion-related organization at Kent State that operates without membership dues, serving 250 students annually. For more information, please email fabricpantry326@gmail.com.
CAPTION: Kent State University Museum Director Sarah Spinner Liska, Ph.D., J.D. (center), with the Fabric Pantry’s Executive Board, Nov. 1, 2024.