Though the classes for the 2017-2018 school year have ended, a variety of events and activities are still occurring across State’s campus, both to students as well as the residents of the Raleigh area. Among these opportunities, the Crafts Center works to provide a range of innovative opportunities. The Crafts Center offers a variety of classes and workshops, and each provides its own unique experience.
“Our largest two studios and programs are clay and wood, but we offer a number of other programs, classes and workshops, such as fibers, jewelry, lapidary, which is gem cutting [. . .] and mixed media: painting, drawing, all sorts of things,” said Carol Nix, the current director of the Crafts Center.
Jennifer Siegel, the clay studio manager at the Crafts Center, has taught many of these workshops herself.
“Introductory skills to pottery and handbuilding can sometimes be the focus, they are some of the most popular classes we have,” Siegel said. “It really depends on the skill level required for the class – there are many that offer intermediate/advanced skills in things like birdhouses, sets/multiples or finding one’s style of work through surface application and form altering techniques.”
Though both classes and workshops give attendees a chance to work on these crafts, the biggest difference between the two is most certainly the time over which they take place.
“The main difference between workshops and classes would be the schedule,” Siegel said. “Classes are spread out across six weeks whereas workshops happen all at once, way more immersive. In a workshop you might be learning skills from a guest artist/instructor or preparing for specialty firings such as a saggar or wood firing.”
As each class is made distinct by its craft of choice and each may follow a general flow, all of the Craft Center’s classes and workshops are also made distinct by the instructors that teach them.
“Every instructor and every class runs a little differently,” Nix said. “In any class, you might have some general preparation, and then it’s really up to the instructor as to what the pace is. They’re very good at taking students of all ages through a sequence of events that leads up to a final product. Workshops are always about a final product, where you might walk away with a set of linen napkins or a beautiful bowl that you’ve turned.”
Though the schedule for this summer is already set, the Crafts Center is constantly acquiring new materials and equipment to allow it to expand its program offerings.
“We’re always improving our equipment and our facilities, and with that comes new opportunities for classes,” Nix said. “For example, in jewelry, we’re going to be adding anodizing equipment, so that gives new avenues for classes. Our instructors are encouraged and are always coming up with new ideas for classes, even though we keep a really good base of introductory classes in all medias.”
In all of the workshops provided, Nix hopes that the crafts they make can help improve their well-being.
“I think, first of all, I hope that they get a sense of well-being, because I feel that creativity is really at the heart of it,” Nix said. “It’s about creating something, feeling good about using your hands, making something from nothing. Just starting with a block of clay, and then you end up with this beautiful bowl or dish. In general, I want people to feel good about being here.”
Registration for summer classes and workshops can be found on the Crafts Center Workshop, found at https://crafts.arts.ncsu.edu/.
