In the Culp Center, there is a place where students and faculty can go to get away from the stresses of their everyday lives. In this place, members of the ETSU community can relax, create, learn and even purchase authentic, handmade crafts all at the same time.
The Craft Shop, located on the first floor of the Culp Center, is available to students, staff, faculty and immediate family members and provides the opportunity to explore recreational and traditional arts and crafts.
It offers three main functions: walk-in participation, individual workshops and a gift area.
Students are welcome to come in at any time during shop hours and make ceramics or mosaics. For those who need assistance, student workers are always on hand.
Instructions can be given in painting, firing and glazing and the prices differ by project.
There is no hourly studio fee and everyone is welcome to drop by anytime during regular hours.
The Craft Shop also offers a variety of workshops, usually held in the afternoon or at night, in which artists and craftsmen from the community come in to teach specific skills.
Some upcoming student workshops include stained glass, basket-weaving, decorative painting, mosaic, fabrics and Folk Art.
Fees for these workshops range from $14 to $45 depending on the materials used in each. Registration is required and applications can be picked up at the Craft Shop.
There is limited space in each of the classes and early registration is highly recommended, as the classes are so popular that they usually meet the maximum enrollment before they are even announced to the general public.
Doris Hayes, Craft Shop manager, said that the “Appalachian crafts” such as quilting, weaving and basketry are unique to this area and she feels it is her goal to pass along craft knowledge to the students at ETSU.
While the Craft Shop’s group workshops and one-on-one assistance provide participants with beneficial crafting skills, Hayes said that many students have other motives for participating.
“We get a lot of students who come in just to relieve stress,” she said. “This is a great place to do that.”
Those who do not have the time to participate in the actual craft-making process can still enjoy the products of the Craft Shop.
The shop’s gift area consists of a variety of crafts created by students and alumni.
The items for sale in the shop are handmade and reasonably priced.
Revenue generated from the sale of these items is used to continue to support the program.
“I think the shop is an important part of the university because students need an outlet to express their creativity and the Craft Shop provides the perfect opportunity for that,” Hayes said.The Craft Shop is open every Monday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. For more information call the Craft Shop at 439-6832.

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