The Craft Center, located on the ground floor of the EMU, provides students and community members with glass, ceramics, woodworking, painting, jewelry, fibers, darkroom photography and metalsmithing art studios. Previous experience, an orientation or the purchase of materials may be required to use some studios. Faculty and community members can also use the space, but are required to create a membership and pay a fee.
This fall the Craft Center will be offering a variety of workshops, hosting a visiting artist and more.Read below to learn about the opportunities available to you.
How to use the space
The Craft Center’s studios can be used during open-studio hours with previous experience. Some spaces may require an orientation, which familiarizes users with proper procedures and the location of materials.
Walker Hicks, a senior majoring in business, began using the Craft Center during his sophomore year. He said that diagrams showcasing tools available help reduce some of the stresses he felt as a new-crafter. While materials often have to be purchased at the front desk, these tools can be checked out at no additional cost.
Those who do not have previous experience can use the studio spaces by attending a workshop. Additionally, workshops can sometimes count as orientations, allowing students to use the space after the completion of the workshop.
Hicks’ first time at the Craft Center was for a handbuilding ceramics workshop. At that workshop he learned the basic skills necessary to work with clay. Since then, he has been attending open studio hours, taken two more ceramic workshops and has even made some friends in the process.
“At first it definitely was intimidating,” Hicks said. “It is just kind of getting over that first wave of initial anxiety about it. But once you keep going everyone starts to recognize you, and it’s definitely a welcoming space.”
This term, the Craft Center will be offering a multitude of workshops in all studios. These workshops range in price and length and are available for purchase on the EMU’s website.
Special this fall
In addition to its regular workshops, each term the Craft Center offers seasonal workshops. This term is no different, with offerings including holiday winter solstice box and glass pumpkin workshops.
Erika Rier, a multidisciplinary artist based in Portland, Oregon, will also be offering specialty workshops as part of her role as this term’s visiting artist.
Art has always been part of Rier’s life. She has been drawing ever since she was a child, learned to sew and weave as a teenager and started out her full-time career as an artist 10 years ago by making and selling dresses.
Five years ago, Rier took a ceramics handbuilding workshop at a studio. Since then, she has fallen in love with the craft and now teaches ceramics classes.
“There’s no way around being a beginner,” Rier said. “Just dive into the process and get obsessed with the process.”
Rier will be offering a two-part clay handbuilding workshop. This class is suitable for beginners, according to Rier, and requires no previous experience. Attendees will learn basic techniques for working with clay and “will leave with a monster,” she added, referring to the figurines they will create.
In addition, Rier will be teaching a zine making workshop where she will go through the entire process of planning a zine. A zine is a small-batch publication, which can include a collection of essays, photos or artworks. She recommends attendees come prepared with some ideas.
If you want to learn more about Rier and her artistic journey, you can attend her artist talk, which will be held on October 18, or visit her artist display on the EMU’s top floor.
For more information about ways to get involved at the Craft Center, studio hours and to sign up for workshops visit the EMU’s website or stop by the Craft Center at the EMU.