Gawason ’25 Participates in One-on-One Tambour Beading Intensive with Haven

Travis Gawason ’25 (Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design & Production – Costume Design) attended a rare one-on-one tambour beading intensive taught by Robert W. Haven in Kentucky during J-Term earlier this year. Haven was so impressed with Gawason’s knowledge and skill of tambour beading after visiting Shenandoah Conservatory in November to conduct a masterclass in tambour beading and embroidery that he offered him the one-on-one intensive to learn advanced tambour technique and develop his tambour skill.

“Learning this skill will greatly benefit my career and professional endeavors,” said Gawason.

Gawason was introduced to the intricate art of tambour beading during his internship last summer at Eric Winterling, Inc., a professional costume shop in New York City. He recently used this skill to bead Cinderella’s ball gown in “Into the Woods” last semester (Fall 2023).