'A Designer's Journey'
Ohio Wesleyan Graduate, Renowned Knitwear Creator to Discuss Her Career on March 18
DELAWARE, Ohio – Since launching her custom hand knitwear business in 1992, Shirley Paden-Bernstein has built a global movement, appearing in leading U.S. and European knitting magazines, on HGTV and Knitting Daily TV, and more.
A 1973 Ohio Wesleyan University graduate, Paden-Bernstein, will discuss her life when she presents "A Designer's Journey" at 7:30 p.m. March 18 in the Benes Rooms of OWU's Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Avenue, Delaware. Admission is free.
Paden-Bernstein is the founder and owner of Shirley Paden Custom Knits and Shirley Paden Productions. She also has been recognized on the British list of "Who's Who in North American Knitting," on the British list of BIPOC Design Icons, and as the headliner at the Danish Needlework Conference.
In 2022, she embarked on a fantasy trilogy of knitting books accompanied by AR and VFX films, which inspired her to launch her production company, now expanding into documentary and fiction projects.
In 2023, the internationally recognized teacher, author, mentor, and philanthropist made a five-year pledge of $1 million to Ohio Wesleyan to support first-generation college student scholarships, the university's Summer Bridge Program (which helps prepare incoming students for the rigors of college), and other OWU initiatives.
Paden-Bernstein, a first-generation college student from a Philadelphia family of eight, made the gift in honor of her mother, Ruth Paden, who did not have the opportunity to attend college.
Learn more about Paden-Bernstein at shirleypaden.com. Her presentation is Ohio Wesleyan's annual Heisler Business Ethics Lecture, sponsored by The Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship. Admission is free. Learn more at owu.edu/Woltemade.
The Heisler Lecture is funded by the Heisler Family Endowment for the Study of Ethics and honors university graduates James Heisler, Class of 1938; Robert Heisler, Class of 1942; and Bruce Heisler, Class of 1949. Learn more about the Heisler Lecture and The Woltemade Center at owu.edu/Woltemade.
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "Best Colleges" lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.