Indigo: Lecture & Demo-A Journey Through Botanical Color, Culture, and Chemistry

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | 6:30-8PM | GBC Gallery
Lecture & Demo - Indigo: A Journey Through Botanical Color

Please text me after purchasing your reservation and upon arriving that evening. I've a big event the next day, Co-Hosting a Christmas Party at Christ Church. Hopefully, I'll try to make it that night. Otherwise, please settle in and enjoy the evening's lecture and demo.
Warmly, Lynda 🎨

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | 6:30-8PM | GBC Gallery
$15/Member | $25/Non Member
Join Indigo expert, Laura Berkowitz Gilbert of Tocco Studio, and step into the rich, vibrant world of indigo, one of nature’s most iconic and enduring natural dyes. In this one-hour lecture and live demonstration, discover how a single pigment has shaped cultures, economies, and artistic traditions across centuries and continents.
From the ancient dye vats of Egypt to the intricate resist-dye techniques of Japan’s shibori and the bold textiles of West Africa, this presentation traces the diverse species of indigo-bearing plants and the global stories they tell. Learn how indigo helped build fortunes and how its cultivation was central to economies in India and pre-colonial America.
Delve into the unique chemistry of the indigo vat and uncover what sets it apart from other natural dyes. The highlight of the event will be a live dyeing demonstration using itajime shibori, a traditional Japanese resist technique, followed by the always-thrilling reveal of the dyed cloth.
Perfect for those passionate about plants, history, and the textile arts, this lecture offers a rare opportunity to see the magic of indigo in action—and to engage directly during a concluding Q&A. Come to learn more about this fascinating plant-based dye—and leave with a deeper appreciation for the blue that changed the world.