In September, the SCAD community faced the passing of beloved sewing tech mentor Maxine Stores. Stores was heavily involved in the fashion department and touched many lives during her time working at SCAD.
Originally from New York, Stores relocated to Colorado to work as a Personnel Assistant at Digital Equipment Corporation. Stores taught art to students and also served as a part-time teacher and arts coordinator for elementary through high school. Stores was also involved with the founding of Sanofka, a dance group that focused on music and drumming. Professor Fran Goch of the Fashion Department said that, “[Maxine] was really into the music scene.” Stores learned much about drumming with the group, which put on shows in Colorado, Wyoming, and in Panama for the Army and Air Force. Glenwood Johnson, Stores’s son, explained that she moved to the Atlanta area to be closer to her niece, Wendy Baldwin, and her family, and that Stores valued family very much.
In 2010, Stores earned a Bachelor’s Degree from SCAD’s Savannah location. Even after graduating, Stores stayed close to the university, working as a sewing tech to help senior fashion students with their collections. Stores also ran workshops in fabric manipulation, dyeing, and many other fabric techniques once a week, and this is how she got to know many of the SCAD fashion students. Sarah Collins, professor of fashion at SCAD Atlanta, said that, “As a Sewing Tech she assisted fashion students with realizing their designs. She also conducted numerous workshops on fabric embellishment and surface design. Students would also go to Maxine for advice and support.” Goch said that, “Maxine was always pushing [the students] … she was really there for them. She went the extra mile in helping these students out.”
Goch remembers making beautiful creations with Stores by manipulating fabric in creative ways. “I’ve always loved textiles and color … the fact that I could get back to that with Maxine … that was a bond … because of her I was able to create beauty [and] that’s something I’ll always be thankful for.” As artists, sharing creativity is one of the greatest feelings. Collins believes one of Stores’ greatest legacies was “ … the art and craft that she both created and taught others to create. [She] was a talented artist in her own right and she was generous in sharing her knowledge with others.”
SCAD alumna Simone Mathis worked with Stores on her senior collection and said of Stores that, “she brought a unique energy to anyone who came in contact with her … [she] inspired you to be better and do amazing things.” Mathis also pointed out that, “[It’s] very hard to find anyone … who does a lot of hand work, who can do dyeing and variations of dyeing techniques … she did it all.” Stores was also a very energetic and enthusiastic person. According to Goch, Stores was very “young at heart” and “loved [the joy she got from creating] and shared that love by teaching students … to pass it on.” Goch also said that, “We played … she was my playmate … she was always laughing. ”
What Collins would like people to remember about Maxine is “ … [her] vibrant spirit and her ability to help nurture the students’ growth as designers.” Mathis would like people to remember “[Maxine’s] creative energy and her personality, and the fact that if you knew Maxine you would have thought she was very young … she had a very young spirit.”
SCAD Atlanta mourns and remembers Maxine Stores, who touched many lives during her time as a sewing tech at SCAD.
