Alison Heryer, the Sue Horn-Caskey & Charles F. Caskey Professor in Textile Arts & Costume Design in Portland State University’s School of Art + Design, has been awarded the 2024 Dean’s Choice Award for Research, Scholarship and Creativity.
The $4,000 award, funded by the College of the Arts Dean’s Council through the Dean's Fund for Opportunities and Excellence, celebrates faculty members who demonstrate significant contributions to research, scholarship and/or creative activity at the national or international level.
An interdisciplinary artist whose work combines textiles, performance, and social practice, Heryer has created wearable art and installations for theater productions, galleries, screens, storefronts, and public spaces around the world. Her research focuses on the development of sustainable and inclusive pedagogy for textile design in fashion, entertainment, and contemporary art.
In making its recommendation, the selection committee stated that Heryer "has employed a scholarly approach to costume design based on her extensive study and deep knowledge of the history and craft. She has designed costumes for over 100 productions across the globe and her work clearly has helped to enrich the practice of creating clothing that reflects the unique physicality of each performer."
Heryer’s design credits include productions at Steppenwolf Theatre, 59E59, The New Victory Theatre, Portland Center Stage, Portland Opera, Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, ZACH Theatre, Redmoon Theater, and La MaMa. Awards include the ArtsKC Inspiration Grant, the Michael Phillippi Prize, the Austin Critics Table Award, and the Portland Drammy for Costume Design. She has exhibited costume and performance-related work at Boston’s 808 Gallery, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, the Prague Quadrennial of Design and Space, and the 2017 World Stage Design Exhibition in Taipei, Taiwan.
She will be formally recognized by Dean Leroy Bynum, Jr. at the College of the Arts Commencement ceremony in June 2024.
To make a gift or discuss options for supporting PSU arts faculty and programs, contact:
Kailin Mooney, Director of Development, College of the Arts
503-725-5031 | mooneyk@psuf.org
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