The UMass Student Union Craft Center is a hot spot on campus for both creativity and relaxation. Students can visit the Student Union Craft Center to make a wide variety of crafts while being with friends between classes. The craft center offers many crafting opportunities from metalsmithing to button making and so much more; it is a cool place to learn a new hobby. Students can purchase the materials to make anything from batiks to silk paintings and stained glass. Since many of our students enjoy the craft center, we asked fellow MAICEI student Sammy Racine to tell us more about it since she was recently working there for her internship placement.

I had an old friend who got me a little interested in drawing when I would see her artwork. Also when I see other people’s artwork, it kind of interests me as well to try artwork things; they just seem so interesting. What I like about crafting and art is just how wonderful people are at art, how they can make such wonderful things such as paintings and drawings, or with crafting they can make such wonderful things like mugs with pottery.

My experience in the craft center. Well I started working at the craft center during my second year of college, and when I had started working there I would make pins a lot because it was something fun and an old peer mentor of mine named Kaitlyn, me and her would hang out at the craft center sometimes and make pins. I also tried other projects like painting this little fabric and then I’d indent some designs into it and then made it into a key chain for my backpack, and I also did many other things like silk painting and also felting projects as well. Those many craft projects were fun.

For my portfolio, things I’d like to try to put into there would be jewelry, for it sounds like a craft fun to try.

At the craft center, things work pretty well. It seems like students don’t exactly need to have good skills, for they can always ask for help if they get a bit confused or something while doing a craft. it’s always okay for someone to ask for help it seems, because the employees are real nice at the craft center.

Working at the craft center is real great, because the employees who work with me are real helpful; they help me out. They’ll teach me how to use the craft making materials, they also show me where the materials go so that i’ll remember where I have to go for grabbing them, or where I’ve got to go when I’ve got to put them away. This, yes is how I’ve begun to learn new crafts, along with getting to know my way around the craft center.

Socially, how is it there? It is nice, calm, and relaxing in the craft center. Music is played, and the employees are kind and very helpful. Employees are good at being nice people and they do good at helping people who come to have fun and make some crafts.

I feel that if students at UMass are interested in crafting, maybe they should come and check out the craft center. it’s an interesting, calm, relaxing place with many crafts for people to try. I feel that students around the campus would really enjoy the craft center, they’d enjoy trying out some crafts especially if they’re interested in crafting and artwork.

– Narrative by Sammy Racine

Check Out Some of Sammy’s Artwork!

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