West Chester University of Pennsylvania
IN-48: Innovation B

In the summer of 2019, West Chester University added a fourth organic garden to campus. This garden is different from previous organic gardens established on campus, however, in that it is not to grow vegetables but to cultivate plants used for making natural pigments and dyes. The initiative -- a faculty / staff collaboration -- was organized by Art + Design Professor Kate Stewart and WCU Grounds Manager Josh Braid, following a 2018 presentation by Professor Stewart in our Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar at which Mr. Braid was present. Located outside the E.O. Bull Center for the Arts, the garden is planted with Coreopsis, Black-eyed Susans, Japanese Indigo, Woad, Madder, Lady’s Bedstraw and other plants traditionally used in the production of natural dyes and pigments.

The garden serves as a teaching garden from which students learn about technological, political and cultural shifts that have had incredible influence over art historical movements and materials available to artists throughout time. Students taking studio courses have toured and attended lectures in the garden, learning about the creation of natural dyes, pigments and art materials. Students also develop an awareness of “slow fashion” through the processing of natural dye plants in response to “faster” conventional methods of production. This garden has the potential to reach a wide range of disciplines at WCU, reinforcing research in Art and Design courses, Art History courses, Theater and Costume Design, Sustainability-related courses and more. To date, students in three courses have used the garden for their studies; Professor Stewart intends to double the number of courses using the garden in the coming academic year.

Response provided by Professor Kate Stewart (sstewart@wcupa.edu), March 2020.