09/21/2026
Artist/academic/textile superhero carole frances lung thinks deeply about the detrimental effects of fast fashion, primarily through the hidden and undervalued labor that fuels the clothing industry. lung’s work is grounded in the politics of production and the value of making, and they use sewing as a way to research and teach about the structures of global capitalism. At the core of lung’s practice is the performance of their alter-ego Frau Fiber, a persona lung created in 2006: As Frau Fiber’s backstory goes, she was born in Apoloda, Germany in 1966, and worked in local garment and knitting factories until the wall came down in 1989, when she and many of her comrades lost their jobs to China. Stateless since then, Frau re-emerged in the United States in 2006 to found the Sewing Rebellion, a movement aimed at teaching others how to mend, make, and resist by actively refusing endless cycles of consumer capitalism.
In addition to showing several pieces from their practice as Frau Fiber, lung is visiting campus this week! They are working with students in Dr. Karly Etz’ Socially Engaged Art, and Dr. Ed Slavishak’s Work and Play in the USA to generate a second iteration of the performance Global Systems on Bodies: a collaborative performance project examining local labor histories, systems of production, transportation and consumption. Drawing connections between central Pennsylvania's industrial past and contemporary global supply chains, the project explores themes of how global systems of labor, trade, consumption, and waste are carried, worn, and experienced on the body. Students will engage in research, discussion, hands-on making, and performance-related activities, and all this work will culminate in a performance Free and Open to the public! Join us this Thursday, Sept. 24 at noon at the old Groce Silk Mill on Sassafras Street (behind the football stadium!).
