Jennifer Richie

Textile Designer, Artist, and Educator


Teaching Summary
 
Committed and caring teacher with experience in multi-cultural classrooms at Rhode Island School of Design and Savannah College of Art and Design. Dedicated to inclusivity and student growth and skill development. Devoted to sustainability both in research and practice.

  
Education               Rhode Island School of Design                                                                                May 2026

MFA in Textiles + Certificate in Collegiate Teaching
  
                            Georgia State University                                                                                        May 2017

BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Textiles

 
Teaching Experience

Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI                                  Jan – Feb 2026 Instructor of Record & Co-Teacher, Textiles Department        Machine Knitting TEXT-4816

●      The object of this course is to teach students with little to no machine knitting experience how to use a single-bed domestic knitting machine.
●      Developed the existing department course syllabus with my co-teacher and a department senior critic by devising a course concept and theme, choosing the most important techniques for the students to learn, and writing each homework assignment and class agenda. 
●      Perform class knitting demonstrations and regular presentations for knitting techniques including plating feeder, manual tucks, eyelets, punch card design, and short rowing. 
●      Lead critiques in each class and assist students with their questions, concepts, and ideas. This class had 12 students. 
●      Showing students how to troubleshoot knitting issues on their machines and clean and care for the machines.
●      Guide the class teaching assistant on how best to support the needs of the class and how to conduct office hours.









Rhode Island School of Design                                               Providence, RI                                               Sept - Dec 2025
Teaching Assistant, Textiles Department

●      Supported the machine knitting (single bed domestic machine) class, a required sophomore-level class for undergraduate textiles students and first-year grad students. This class had 14 students.
●      Assisted students with knitting questions and issues in class on all techniques and with troubleshooting machine issues.
●     Supported and participated in critiques each class. Maintained weekly office hours in the knitting studio.


Rhode Island School of Design                                         Providence, RI                                         Sept 2025 – May 2026 Peer Adviser, Career Center

●      Provide guidance to RISD students with their resumes, job and internship applications, networking, and other career-related questions.
●     Assisted students with using the career portal and preparing to attend internship and portfolio review events in person and online.


Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta, GA                                    Sept 2021- Mar 2024 Sustainability and Textiles Mentor, Fashion Department

●      Mentor students on the current state of the fashion and textile industry and the damage it does to the environment as well as provide ideas and examples of ways to create a sustainable business model and sustainable design.
●      Teach students workshops in various textile techniques including knitting, quilting, and wool felting.
●     This role entailed 5 visits to the fashion department each semester (15 visits per school year). Each visit was to a different class and lasted one hour. During this time I would provide a workshop or lecture, depending on what the teacher of the class needed. Classes consisted of 12-15 students and was a mix of undergraduates and graduates.


FAVE and Talley Street Elementary / PaintLove Decatur, GA               May 2022-Oct 2023
Fiber Arts Teaching Residency


●     I led a team of local fiber artists in teaching 3rd graders in Title I elementary schools about textiles through various workshops, including indigo tie-dyeing, weaving, wet felting, and sewing.
●     Residencies took place over several weeks and all 3rd grade classes at 2 local elementary schools were involved. We spent 4 days in each 3rd grade classroom for one hour each visit, which usually totaled between 4-8 hours per team member per residency in the classroom.
●     Classes were prepped as a group beforehand and all woven pieces were attached together at the end of the residency to form a large work that is kept on permanent display at the school.


Professional Experience


TulipCake LLC Atlanta, GA                                                                  July 2022 – August 2024 Chief Executive Artisan


●       Embroider garments and patches using 5 industrial embroidery machines, print garments using direct-to-garment printer.
●       Clean and prepare garments for pick-up. Garments and patches are made for local film and television industry and businesses.
●       Color match embroidery thread to requested designs from the client using both digital and printed imagery.

Yours Truly by Peter Jensen Atlanta, GA                                               Oct. 2019 – present Knitter/Knitwear Designer


●       I design or knit pieces for designer Peter Jensen’s clothing lline, Yours Truly by Peter Jensen. Designs have included sweaters knit to match sweaters from different movies, tiny sweaters, and an indulgently thick hand knit beanie.

Freelance Knit and Crochet Designer                                                                     2008-present

●       Owner of an Etsy shop since 2008 with over 850 sales to date, I also had a weekly booth at several farmers markets and at local artist markets in and around Atlanta from 2012-2014 including Serenbe and Tucker. I make and sell my own environmentally conscious products which include everything from reusable shopping bags to stuffed animals. In my own products I use sustainable fibers. When I use animal-based fibers like wool, I source them from sustainable farms or animal sanctuaries.
●       Sold my handmade items at Homegrown Decatur, Hodgepodge Coffee shop, and Donna Van Gogh in the greater metropolitan area of Atlanta.
●       I’ve made crochet panels for 2 Choi + Shine architectural pieces, the Floating Mosque and ARIZONA!

Takedown Sportswear, Lawrenceville, GA                                                         May 1, 2020 – May 28, 2020 Industrial Sewing Machine Operator


●       Sew surgical masks for a medical supply company on industrial sewing and overlock machines.





Artist Assistant Experience

Sonya Yong James, Fiber Artist in Atlanta, GA                                                                              Sept 2016 - Aug 2017


●       Assist the artist in her studio at the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center with her various commissions and shows.
●       Provide manual labor to complete the work as well as assist in planning, problem-solving and creative ideas.
●       Work included felting, knitting, crocheting and weaving.

Jess Jones, Atlanta, GA                                                                               Apr - May 2017


●       Assist in studio with quilts for exhibits, including manual labor, squaring off the quilt and attaching layers.


Sustainable Fashion Certifications


●     2021: UAL London College of Fashion and Kering Certificate in Fashion and Sustainability: Luxury Fashion in a Changing World

●     2021: Copenhagen Business School Certificate in Sustainable Fashion


Exhibitions & Selection Experience

·      2026 RISD Textiles Grad Biennial – Sol Koffler Gallery

·      2026 Reviewer - Social Media Take Over - Textile Society of America

·      2025 - 2026 Brown RISD Hillel, Providence, RI Ben Le’ven - Interactive liminal space created with textiles, light and sound, made in collaboration with Yuval Gur (RISD MFA 2026)

·      2023 Callenwolde Fine Arts Center, Atlanta, GA Framing the Future – Exhibition of artists that collaborate with PaintLove (nonprofit in Georgia)

·      2019 The Bakery, Atlanta, GA The Art of Protest – Exhibition of protest posters

·       2017 SouthEast Fiber Arts, Atlanta, GA, Square-Foot Pin Up Exhibition 



Skills


Software:

·       Stoll M1 software experience and Stoll knitting machine

·       Tajima digital embroidery experience

·       Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

·       Proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator


Textiles and Other Art Techniques:


·       Operating multi-head industrial digital embroidery machines

·       Designing repeat patterns by hand and digitally

·       Hand knitting, embroidery, and crochet

·       Single and Double Bed domestic knitting machines and industrial Stoll machines

·       Natural dyeing and surface design including shibori

·       Sculptural fabric manipulation including pleats, pintucks, and shaped piecework

·       Mending, darning, and garment repair

·       Wheel Throwing

·       Welding (TIG and MIG)

·      Wood working


Teaching:


·      Demonstrations on various textiles techniques including but not limited to crochet, wet felting, hand knitting, machine knitting, tapestry weaving, domestic and industrial sewing machines, overlock (serger), pintucks, pleating, mending, etc.

·       Advising students on resumes, interviews, creative concepts, and techniques.

·       Modifying an existing syllabus and writing a syllabus from scratch