Amber Johnson

, an award-winning assistant professor of communication and social justice at Saint Louis University and creator of the Justice Fleet, a mobile justice museum that interrogates radical forgiveness, will present “Becoming the Justice Fleet: The Great Shift from Diversity to Radical Inclusion” on Friday, Oct. 5, at 3 p.m. in Room 105 of Link Hall.

The talk, which is free and open to the University community, is sponsored by the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies in the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

Mobile Museum is a group of interactive exhibitions that foster communal healing through art, play and dialogue. Housed inside a box truck, the mobile exhibitions venture into various neighborhoods to engage community members in discussions about implicit and explicit bias, social identity and communicating across difference. The first two museums in production engage community members in a dialogue about radical forgiveness and radical imagination.

As a scholar/artist/activist, Johnson explores language, exigency, sound and aesthetics of various social movements. Their research and activism focus on performances of identity, protest and social justice in digital and lived spaces. As a polymath, their mixed-media artistry involves working with metals, recycled and reclaimed goods, photography, poetry, percussion and paint to interrogate systems of oppression.

Those who require accommodations to fully participate in the event or who would like more information may contact Sarah Francesconi at 315.443.2308 or slfrance@syr.edu.

Lawren Cappelletti and Helena Elston, both from the Class of 2018, had undergraduate work accepted into the design exhibition. Out of 134 undergraduate entries submitted, only 23 percent were accepted into this year’s competition.

Cappelletti’s “World Wore II” and “My Girl Friday” were chosen. Both designs combine 1940s/WWII women’s fashion with the trends of today.

Elston’s “Skeptic” design was selected. “Skeptic” draws its jewel-tone colors and silhouettes from Edgar Allan’s Poe’s “A Dream Within a Dream.”

Adriana Gorea, assistant professor of fashion design, had her design “Jump of Icarus” accepted for the design exhibition. Her design was inspired by the Greek myth of Icarus, who is said to have flown so close to the sun his wax wings melted and he plunged to his death in the Aegean Sea. There were 122 professional designs submitted to the competition, with 49 percent accepted.

“Kuroguro Presence: A Conceptual Design Collaboration,” a research abstract by fashion design faculty Gorea, Professor Jeffrey Mayer, and Assistant Professor Todd Conover was accepted for oral presentation at the conference. Research abstracts “Moisture Responsiveness of Seamless Knitted Wool Fabrics” and “Seamless Sports Bra Design: A Responsive System Design Exploration,” authored by Gorea, Fatma Baytar (Cornell University), and Eulanda Sanders (Iowa State University), were accepted for oral presentation as well.

Design abstracts were reviewed by a double-blind jury and evaluated on contextual review and concept; aesthetic properties and visual impact; process, technique and execution; cohesion and design contribution; and innovation. Each undergraduate student entry was reviewed by two jurors, while professional designs were reviewed by three jurors.

The International Textile and Apparel Association is a professional, educational association committed to promoting the discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge in the textile, apparel and merchandising disciplines.