Staff & Faculty Resources

We are thrilled to continue to offer the staff and faculty wellness programs this year! Please join us for a lunch and craft session this year 4th Wednesdays and 2nd Fridays from noon-2PM It’s a great way to meet colleagues from across campus and spend time creating together. Getting away from your work for a few hours, learning and creating something new, and being in community with others is a great way to support well-being. No experience is needed for any of the workshops, they are all guided and open to all levels.

Sign-ups for sessions are required since we will provide lunch. You can sign up for each session on Student Life Summit.

The Arts and Crafts program embraces experimentation, failure, joy, friendships, and creates space to make connections to learning and everyday life. We understand and support the process of creation as an element of wellness. The studio is located on the lower level of Worner.  This program is sponsored by the Annual Fund for Mental Health and Wellness.

The Spring Semester workshops are here! 

Block 5

Friday, January 30^th: Leatherworking with Andrew Beck

In this workshop OCA Director Andrew Beck will teach us the craft of leather working.  Join us to create your own unique leather design. You will be able to choose the option of creating a key chain, bracelet, coaster, or leather earrings. We will use stamps to create different design and then learn basic leather working techniques.

Wednesday, February 11^th: The Productive Void with Visiting artist Nina Elder

Nina Elder's work is influenced by the poetry and power she contemplates in the natural world. She will guide us through simple and relaxing exercises to listen, observe, reflect, and release. To spark curiosity and foster attention, Nina will read aloud from texts and poems that grapple with the presence of absence, black holes, and the productive unknown. While listening, we will make very simple abstract ink paintings that also reflect on these themes. Released from perfectionism, representation, or outcome, this one-hour session will be a practice in experimentation and mindfulness. You can learn more about her work here or visit the GOCA galleries at UCCS to see her latest exhibition.

Block 6

Friday, February 27^th: Yard Art Posters with Josh T Franco 

In this workshop, artist and Innovator-in-Residence Josh T Franco will introduce his exhibition Where I Learned to Look: Art From the Yard, opening March 6 at the Fine Arts Center. Using screen-printing techniques alongside paints, markers, etc., you will have the opportunity to create your own yard art sign related to the exhibition. We will think about the craft traditions of hand painted signs, and artist made environments.  No experience is necessary to produce a fun yard art print during this session! 

Wednesday, March 11^th: Spring ceramic planters

In this workshop we will learn basic handbuilding skills to create ceramic planters for your spring plants. We will create simple forms that you can then decorate using underglazes and texture tools. Once created we will fire your planters and then you can return to the studio to glaze your work.

Block 7

Friday, March 27^th: Indigo workshop with Visiting Gasali Adeyemo

In this workshop you will have the opportunity to work with Visiting Artist Gasali Adeyemo to learn the history and techniques of indigo dyeing. You will be able to bring and dye one of your own pieces or dye something that we have available in the studio.

Wednesday, April 15^th: Cyanotype workshop

In this workshop you will experiment with the alternative photographic process of cyanotypes. This process uses the sun to expose images on fabric. We will use a range of plant and textured materials to create patterns and imagery on the fabric. We will frame the cyanotypes and you will leave with your own unique work to decorate your space

Block 8

Friday, May 1^st: Marbling with Visiting Artist Ruby T

In this workshop we will introduce participants to marbling techniques. Visiting Artist Ruby T will lead this workshop and you will learn to use pigments to create unique designs on the water’s surface that will then be transferred to paper or fabric.

Wednesday, May 13^th: Flower Arranging workshop for Graduation

Each year Arts and Crafts works with the Chaplin to decorate Shove Chapel for Baccalaureate. This workshop you will learn the skills of flower arranging while helping to create beautiful installations for those students graduating.

We welcome staff and faculty to use the Arts and Crafts studio and resources for your own creative making! During the academic year staff and faculty can register for Independent Projects and a series of classes designed specifically for you (this program will begin in the Spring of 2025). Independent Projects, and class and workshop opportunities are available on Summit. 

In the summer the studio is open, and a series of classes and workshops will be announced as well as Family Friday Open studios.

Is your department interested in hosting an event, team-building workshop, or would like to schedule a time for your class to work in the Arts and Crafts studio? We would love to collaborate and here are some ways we've worked with groups in the past:

• Team-building activities: We've provided guided art making experiences and departments can reserve times to work in the studios.
• Discussion groups: Creative making can help to support all kinds of conversations, brainstorming, and team meetings.
• Curriculum Support: We've worked with classes to design specific art activities that support class curriculum. 
• Art Cart: We have an art making cart with basic supplies that you can check out for your event or class if you can't work in the studio. There is a small charge for this so that we can keep the cart supplied.

If you are interested in working with us please reach out to Rebecca Parker.