Nehuen Zeimer '29

Nehuen Zeimer ’29 is a sophomore at Maine College of Art & Design, where he studies Textile & Fashion Design. Nehuen’s work focuses on movement, both in his fashion design and in his interdisciplinary media projects around Portland. He shares his experience building networks at MECA&D, experimenting with new ideas, and the scholarships that support it all.

Can you tell us a bit about your work?

In fashion, I really enjoy clothes and garment construction, as well as pattern drafting and playing around with material. With that, I also do a lot of graphic design work, and I play a lot with print.

I also do video work and photography. That was my background before coming to MECA&D, and I realized through taking photos of fashion that I was really interested in it and it was something I wanted to discover.

My practice is really embedded in community and participation and collaboration. I love teaming up with people outside of my realms and creating pieces that go beyond just me, so I can create a more cohesive piece by working with a bunch of different artists.

What is your community like at MECA&D?

Community is such a big part of my experience here, and a lot of my work talks about that, especially my recent installation. MECA&D is a small school that makes it so that you have a lot of interaction with people and build a great connection with them. It provides you with really good spaces to build community and friendships, and I feel like my two years here have really given me that.

What’s something you’ve learned at MECA&D that stands out to you?

I’ve learned so much about the practice of art. I come from a background of making art with a commercial goal, but when I got here, I was introduced to conceptual art and to many things that made me think differently about what art is, where it can go. My work never would have evolved like this if it weren’t for MECA&D.

I’ve also learned to ask for things. Everybody here knows that I want to take advantage of resources. I’m always asking, “Can I use this?” I’ve done a lot with Bennett Morris in the Fab Lab, to learn all these different ways of printing and interacting with materials and technology, and it was just because I asked.

What other opportunities have you found through Artists at Work?

I work as a gallery attendant at the Institute of Contemporary Art, and I got connected through Artists at Work.

A big project for me right now is my work co-founding a production collaborative at MECA&D where students can participate on media projects. We’ve connected with Artists at Work to eventually introduce the program as a way to build skills in media and to tell stories.

Artists at Work is a great space to ask questions, chat with the team, and figure out ways to connect your art with different work opportunities.

What are your favorite places on campus?

Can I choose more than one?

I love the library just to get work done. I get really comfortable there and I’m in my zone. The staff is also great, and I love everyone there.

The fashion studio is my favorite place in the world. I get to work with all of these new materials and tools and learn a lot.

Studio B of the music room is another great space when you just need your own space to listen to music. It’s a cool spot where you can disconnect from the world for a little while. I find myself there a lot.

What opportunities have you sought out at MECA&D?

I’ve really been seeking out so many resources. Access to knowledge through professors, materials, machines, it’s all so important. There’s also the access to the art scene, and to a bunch of people who are doing really cool work that you can collaborate on and have fun with.

Having fun is such an important part of art and life, and I’ve really sought out the opportunity to experiment with so many cool things. That’s the primary thing that I’m grateful for here.

How does creativity show up in your life?

I think human expression is creativity. It’s what we are, and it’s everywhere. When you surround yourself with people, you’re going to create something together, no matter what it is. In all of my work, no matter what I’m doing, I’m working to take advantage of the creative elements.

How would you describe your MECA&D community in three words?

Intelligent, unique, engaged.

Where do you see your art evolving in the future?

In fashion I really want to develop the idea of movement, and that’s what I’m hoping to present in my future collections. I want to work on the connection between fashion and movement.

Fashion is meant to accompany a body, and a body is movement. I’d like to explore the ways that movement can show more, and to explore fashion with music, dancing, and textures, patterns, and form. I’m interested in sculptural fashion, playing with shape, and I think movement is really interesting there.

How have scholarships and financial aid impacted your education at MECA&D?

Scholarships and financial aid are the only reason I’m here, and that’s huge. I wouldn’t be studying here if it weren’t for that, and I’m extremely grateful for it. It gives me the possibility to explore and experiment and expand what I’m doing.

Can you tell us about your recent installation in the BFA Fall Exhibition?

This installation is basically my work desk at home. It’s the desk I made with my grandfather when I got accepted to MECA&D and I needed a place to work. So the desk is what’s holding everything together, holding my day-to-day in this space.

The main topic of the installation is a series of five interviews that I recorded, edited, and co-directed with Natalie Conn over the summer. The interviews follow local artists around Portland, including a band, a fashion designer, a printmaker, soapmakers, and a sculptor.

The whole installation is meant to show the importance of these human connections and the collaborative nature of my work. We got to create the pieces together. These are things that will stay with me, probably for the rest of my life.