Learn Jacquard silk weaving and design at the Foundation Lisio in Florence, Italy. Explore fabric analysis and learn how to identify complex weave structures like brocade, damask, lampas, liseré, and velvet. On site, you will observe master silkweavers at their looms, engaged in the product design process.
Fibers in Florence
Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: At least 18 years of age
Location: Europe, Italy
GPA: 3.0
Program Overview
Dates and Deadlines
| Term | Year | Deadline | Arrival Date | Departure Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | 2026 | 3/15/2026 | 8/30/2026 | 9/20/2026 |
This program has a rolling admission application process: GEO staff (and the program faculty leader, if applicable) will complete a review of the application materials of complete applications in the order that they are submitted (“first come, first serve”). Decisions about acceptance will be made shortly after you submit a complete application. There are some programs that fill fast, some even before the deadline. Students are encouraged to complete applications and commit to programs early.Acceptance is based on a holistic review of your application. This includes a review of your GPA, transcripts (including courses taken and in-progress), any additional requirements or prerequisites (see section "Additional Requirements"), and the short statement.
Academic Details
In this intensive studio program, Eva Basile (a Lisio faculty member) provides instruction in English, assisted by Barbara Setsu Pickett, the resident director and a UO professor of art. The studio experience is enriched with visits to museums and a textile conservation laboratory. Students earn nine quarter credit hours in upper division studio.
You will work in teams of two on class assignments. The original point-paper design and a small woven sample become part of the UO Fibers Area archive. Typically, you will be in studio from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Mondays through Thursdays, and half-days on Fridays. Graduate students will design additional course work with the resident director, such as learning Jacquard software or the CIETA fabric analysis system.
Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.
Course Equivalencies
UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.
Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.
Additional Requirements
- Basic knowledge of weaving.
- No experience on Jacquard looms is mandatory, but taking the a preparatory course (such as the one offered at the beginning of the University of Oregon summer term) is often the determining factor in the selection process.
Faculty and Staff
Barbara Setsu Pickett, associate professor emeritus, University of Oregon Department of Art, is the resident director. She leads field trips and helps the students with logistics before and during the course. She has a long association with the Foundation Lisio, where she did her Fulbright research fellowship in 1986-87 and a UO summer research award study in 1994. Her research focuses on silk velvet weaving. In 2013, she led “Velvet in Italy,” a ten-day tour for the Textile Society of America.
Housing Description
You will share two modest apartments at the Foundation Lisio, and the resident director will stay on-site in the third apartment. The apartments have shared bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom facilities, dining, and sitting areas. Bed linens and towels are provided. No telephones are available in the apartments but there is WiFi in the studios. You will share the washing machine in the upstairs apartment with other students and will be responsible for cleaning the apartments and leaving them in spotless condition. All trash, recyclables, and items to be donated to charity should be disposed of before returning the keys to Professor Pickett.