Artist Bio

My name is Sheila Tabaka.  I am a proud part of the Entertainment and Theatre Arts program at Southwest Minnesota State University here in Marshall, MN, where I also serve as the Costume Designer.

Through my work in the theatre I am able to explore different eras, styles and clothing construction techniques.  I am inspired by the colors and textures of the fabrics.  Fabrics have the ability to be stiff and straight like a tartan kilt or soft and wispy like a chiffon scarf.  As fabric artists we can choose their fate.  We can hold them, shape them and give them another life as a finished garment.

As many artists do, I also work outside the theatre on different artistic ventures-most notably my work with the Scottish tartans and kilts.  After a workshop in Edinburgh in 2024, my life has opened up to a whole new artistic venture.  Traditional (handmade) Scottish kiltmaking, an endangered handcraft in the United Kingdom (https://heritagecrafts.org.uk/categories-of-risk/), requires patience and time and commitment.  It’s slow going at times but incredibly rewarding.  The craft of the historic artisan is incredibly fascinating to me and through this new work, I get to experience some of that history firsthand.  

I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to exhibit some of my work.