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Students in the ����ԭ�� School of Fashion’s fashion visuals class, led by Professor Archana Mehta, recently visited the ����ԭ�� Museum to engage directly with "LeRoy Neiman: A Keen Observer of Style," an exhibition highlighting the artist’s early work as a fashion illustrator. The course introduces students to elements and principles of design and color theory to create effective composition in 2D and 3D form. The museum offers a setting where students can apply those concepts through close looking, visual analysis and discussion in the galleries.

Surrounded by Neiman’s sketches and studies — from commercial illustrations of the 1950s to expressive works spanning the following decades — students examined how line, space, color, gesture, and composition translate into compelling visual communication.

“This is exactly how I see the museum functioning, as an experiential learning lab for our students,” said Sarah Spinner, Ph.D., J.D., director of the ����ԭ�� Museum. “Watching students analyze Neiman’s illustrations in real time, make connections to their own design work and think critically about visual storytelling is incredibly exciting.”

For Professor Mehta, the visit offered her students a rare opportunity to learn directly from original works.

Seeing Neiman’s illustrations up close allows students to really observe and understand process, proportion, color, and composition in a way that images on a screen simply can’t,” she said.

Curator Sara Hume, Ph.D., who has organized more than 30 exhibitions at the museum, emphasized that this kind of student engagement is always central to her curatorial approach.

“This is my 32nd exhibition,” Hume said. “The museum’s exhibitions are meant to be active teaching tools — spaces where close looking and curiosity are encouraged.”

The visit reinforced the museum’s value as a learning resource for ����ԭ�� students, offering direct engagement with artworks that deepen their understanding of design and visual communication. For students in the School of Fashion — consistently ranked among the nation’s top fashion programs — access to the museum’s collections strengthens their creative development and supports the school’s commitment to hands-on, research-informed education.