KENT, OH – This Spring, the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series hosted three creatives from around the world: Thijs Verhaar and Lyske Gais from Knitwear Lab, and New York – based photographer, Pauline St. Denis.
The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series was established by Cecile Draime and her late husband, Max, of Warren, Ohio, to honor their dear friend Thomas Schroth (1922-1997). A noted regional architect, Schroth designed the Butler Institute of Art’s Trumbull museum in Howland, as well as numerous other award-winning projects. Thomas Schroth spent his life in Niles, Ohio, as a prominent architect and inveterate collaborator in the artistic life of the Mahoning Valley and Northeast Ohio. A world traveler, he saw human creativity as a window framing human experience. The Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series brings diverse views through that window to the Kent campus and community. The events are always free and open to the public.
Since 2001, the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series has presented guest artists respected in the field of theatre, dance, visual arts, music and architecture. Spring 2024 was no exception– the Thomas Schroth Visiting Artist Series hosted three creatives from around the world: Thijs Verhaar and Lyske Gais from Knitwear Lab in the Netherlands, and New York-based photographer, Pauline St. Denis. During their visit to Kent State, these artists interacted with students and the KSU community through engaging workshops and public lectures.
Through this program, students have access to inspiring professionals in the arts whom they get to learn from first-hand. This year, the Schroth Series lectures were a part of a larger whole; the KnitFUTURES Symposium and Kent State Fashion Week. Verhaar and Gais were keynote speakers and hosted a workshop during the KnitFUTURES Symposium in March 2024. St. Denis hosted a three-day workshop during Fashion Week 2024, working with Fashion Design students and photographing select garments.
Thijs Verhaar and Lyske Gais giving the keynote lecture during the KnitFUTURES Symposium
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Thijs Verhaar, founder of Knitwear Lab, a knit design lab and consultancy, also designs for his own label, Thijs Verhaar Knitwear. With over 30 years in industrial knitting, his creations are inspired by the vibrant colors and geometric patterns found in European culture and design.
Lyske Gais, Head of Virtual Knitting at Knitwear Lab, navigates between the analog and digital realms. With a diverse skill set spanning spatial design, graphic design, and 3D visualizations, she works with Virtual Knitting—an innovative approach to digital knitting programming and design, technology and craftsmanship.
Pauline St. Denis, an accomplished photographer and live-action director, has over 25 years of artistic mastery across international borders. Her portfolio, brimming with lifestyle, advertising, fashion, celebrity, and fine arts photography, is a vivid testament to her ceaseless creativity, remarkable versatility, and unwavering dedication.