Sustainable and socially responsible designs dominate the Capilano University Textile Art Grad Show this year.

On now at North Vancouver's CityScape Community Art Space, the show exhibits a wide range of work by the program's 18 graduating students. The display includes sculptural works, garments, costumes and textual wall pieces, with many pieces exhibiting an environmentally conscious approach to art.

"We encouraged students to make things that you can't just buy," said textile arts professor Ruth Scheuing. "The notion of using materials responsibly is demonstrated. Some pieces are recycled."

For students of the two-year textile arts diploma program, the show is an opportunity to display their work for the community. Some pieces are on sale, but a vast majority of the artwork demonstrates the school's emphasis on experimental work.

"We stress the experimentation part of the program," Scheuing said. "We think it's very important to explore things and find out what they want to do rather than stress about what comes out afterwards."

With a dress made entirely out of elastic bands, an outfit made from all recycled material, many artists within the 2010 graduating class focused on the growing do-it-yourself movement within the art community.

As demonstrated by the show, students created individual, unique pieces that capitalize on environmentally conscious material use and production.

While there are new and experimental techniques on display, the grad show also includes more traditional practices such as weaving and knitting. Younger people are becoming increasingly interested in traditional approaches to textile work, Scheuing said.

In addition to the show, many students post their work on blogs and etsy.com, a website that promotes the creation, purchase and sale of handmade products. According to Scheuing, some students have had great success selling their work on Etsy.

This year's grad show also focuses on the interactive community component of textile art. Hands-on textile workshops are scheduled for May 29 and June 5 at the gallery and are open to the public. The workshops include mending, felting and drawing with thread.

For Scheuing, the workshops aim to show that, unlike other art, textile art is a socially interactive art form.

"We tend to think of artists as people who express themselves and then everybody looks at their work and is inspired," she said. "We are offering the idea that there's a human connection to artwork. People have to trust you with their clothes. We are trying to show our students that artists don't have to be removed from the world."

Hosted by the North Vancouver Community Arts Council, the Textile Art Grad Show runs at CityScape Community Art Space, 335 Lonsdale Ave., through Saturday, June 5. Admission is free.

nscallan@nsnews.com