Verso University: The Art and Science of Color: Indigo - The Improbable Story of the World's Favorite Blue

Thursday, November 19 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm | Brooks Place | Registration Fee: $5

About This Course

You’re probably wearing indigo right now.

It’s what gives your jeans their color — and yet most people have never stopped to think about where it comes from, or how unlikely its story really is. The indigo used in mass production today is synthetic, a derivative of petroleum. But for thousands of years before that, this brilliant blue came from an ordinary-looking green plant. Extracting color from its leaves required a complex, painstaking process — one that, in some cultures, was a closely guarded secret. And somehow, across the globe, wherever the plant grew, cultures independently found their own path to the same improbable transformation: green leaves into the world’s most coveted blue.

Join fiber artist and natural dyer Laura Berkowitz Gilbert of Tocco Studio for a journey through the history of this remarkable color and the unique chemistry that sets it apart from nearly every other natural dye. The evening concludes with a live demonstration of indigo dyeing using shibori, the traditional Japanese resist technique — watch as cloth emerges from the vat green and turns blue before your eyes. Time for Q&A is included.

About the Instructor

Laura Berkowitz Gilbert is the fiber artist and natural dyer behind Tocco Studio in Guilford, CT, where she creates naturally dyed textiles using indigo, cochineal, and other plant-based materials. She has studied with leading figures in the global natural dye community, including Aboubakar Fofana, Takayuki Ishii, and Sasha Duerr, and teaches workshops on indigo dyeing, bundle dyeing, and visible mending. A trained graphic designer, Laura brings a designer’s eye for color and composition to her work with natural pigments.

About Verso University

• Classes are usually structured as a consecutive series.
• Class size is often limited.
• Each series has a one-time registration fee covering all classes in the series.
• Registration is mandatory.
• The Westport Library wants to ensure that all interested students are able to participate in Verso University courses. If the registration fee is a barrier to entry for you, please contact JConnon@westportlibrary.org.

Verso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative, serving up year-round offerings of classes, workshops, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly.

Verso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund.

Library Refund Policy

Programs, prices, and dates are subject to change. Tickets are non-transferable between events but may be passed along to another attendee. All sales are final. Refunds are issued only if The Westport Library cancels an event outright. In the case of a postponement or reschedule, refunds are not guaranteed provided the event takes place within 12 months of the original date. Refunds, when applicable, are issued in the original form of payment.