Lucy BurtonGraduate Studentshe/her/hers

I am a multidisciplinary artist from the Midwest who has long been interested in sustainability and environmental studies. These interests have informed how I work, and feel inevitably tied to the field of textiles. As a member of the School of Human Ecology, I am excited to be a part of an environment where I can look simultaneously at a finished piece of work in conjunction with its origins and impacts.

My work is a crossover of tedium and novelty. Feeling at home in fiber arts, but often detouring into different mediums, I pair traditional processes with unconventional materials. Weaving, but with fishing line. Sewing, but with plastic. Naturally dyed fiber paired with laser-engraved acrylic.

I am interested in my materials not just for how they appear, but for what they are: for their histories, integrity, and stories. I use plastic, often reclaimed: cereal bags or sheets of packing foam. I use natural dyes, often scavenged: from locations and sources which are more significant to me than the color they end up producing. Imagery becomes data in translating a concept to visual language.

Awards and Recognition

• Fiber Artists of San Antonio Second Place Award, 2025
• Reva Shriner Memorial Award in Visual Arts, 2020
• Windgate Fellowship Nominee, 2019