About 20 UW–Madison students got a unique – and very squishy – hands-on lesson in sustainability this spring when they learned to make leather from fish skin in a class called “Building a Sustainable Creative Practice.” Follow them throughout the process in “Bringing Fish Leather to UW-Madison,” a new video produced by Wisconsin Sea Grant’s Bonnie Willison.
After fish are caught or harvested, the skins are often discarded. But in class, students explored how the material can be repurposed into fashion and design pieces while reducing waste and avoiding plastic-based materials. Using skins donated by northern Wisconsin commercial fishers, students learned the surprisingly simple process of making fish leather. Along the way, Wisconsin Sea Grant outreach specialists Sharon Moen and Titus Seilheimer also introduced students to Wisconsin’s commercial fishing industry and topics related to Great Lakes sustainability.
Moen and Seilheimer first learned fish leather tanning at a 2025 workshop and have since been teaching others across Wisconsin. Ginny Carlton, Sea Grant’s education outreach specialist, helped forge a partnership with UW-Madison’s Design Studies department to bring fish leather tanning to UW-Madison. Students were encouraged by instructors Mary Hark and Anika Kozlowski to experiment creatively with the material, with project ideas ranging from fitted tops, to book covers, to bracelets. “I’m excited about the future, seeing the enthusiasm these students had,” said Moen.
This project was made possible by the Brittingham Wisconsin Trust.
