Ella SidesThe production of synthetic dyes comes at a great environmental cost, accountable for nearly 20% of global industrial water pollution. The Sustainable Color for Kentucky’s Future project aims to replace synthetic coloring for clothing and textiles with natural dyes by increasing the availability of resources needed to produce natural coloring. This project is funded by the Sustainability Challenge Grant (SCG) Program. The SCG Program is intended to encourage and support engagement from multidisciplinary teams within the University community in the development of scholarly, creative, or research projects that promote sustainability.
The University of Kentucky’s impact extends greater than the city limits of Lexington. UK works together with Kentucky’s 120 counties through the Cooperative Extension Service.
Alexis Sheffield started her career with UK as an extension agent for Boyle County and now serves as an extension specialist for horticulture at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.
Now, she has teamed up with two fiber artists, Crystal Gregory, an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts School of Art and Visual Studies, and Shari Dutton, a staff horticulturalist in the Martin-Gatton College, to experiment with the natural dyeing of fabric, as opposed to synthetic dyes.
