Craft Center

The Craft Center door

Location

South Silo on UCD campus

Hours

Monday-Thursday 10 AM-10 PM

Friday 10 AM-7 PM

Saturday & Sunday 10 AM-6PM

Summer hours Monday-Thursday 12:30pm-10pm

Summer hours Friday 12:30pm-7pm

closed Sundays during summer

Phone

(530)752-1475

Webpage

http://campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu/cms/internal.aspx?uid=ae2ca625-c8e3-46e7-9563-72ead3b5461e

Registration in person or over the phone

The Craft Center is a place for people with an artistic bent to go and have some fun creating works of art. It features labs and equipment for ceramics, photography, textiles, glass, wood, jewelry, arts and graphics, welding, and screenprinting. It is open to the general public as well as students and university affiliates (which includes UC Davis alumni).

The Craft Center has an extensive library of craft-related books

The Craft Center has a good number of interesting classes. Most instructors are very nice and are willing to help out and give advice even if you're not in the class, although their focus is of course on their enrolled students. It is a good idea to try to find the instructor and talk to him/her before signing up for a class to see what sorts of wonderful things you might get out of their class. You might find yourself interested in something you didn't even know existed. Some instructors may be more useful to you than others, so it may pay to ask around and see what others have taken and with whom.

If you do not want to take a class, but want to use the facilities, you can purchase a pass to use the Craft Center's equipment. Because of the potential hazards, you cannot use the facilities without first assuring the staff that you know what the hell you're doing. Those who have experience in a particular craft and do not want to take a class just to use the lab can make an appointment for a free orientation, and then buy a pass. Note: there are certain labs that cannot be used unless you have taken a safety review class, which is an actual scheduled class you must purchase and register for. There is a big color-coded poster at the front desk with orientation/pass information.

Most multi-week classes include a pass for the duration of the class. In general, passes are available for 1 day or a full quarter. However, you can't use a day pass for the ceramics or glass fusing labs, which only take full quarter passes due to overuse of kilns. If you buy 5 day passes, they automatically get converted to a quarter pass. After the 5th week of the quarter you can get a half-quarter pass at reduced cost.

You can sign up around the beginning of the quarter: line up really early.

The pricing structure has two tiers: student/ARC member (cheapest) and general public/non ARC member (most expensive). If you are not a student, but are an ARC member, you are eligible for the cheaper price. Volunteers get many perks, including 50% off of all classes and one free class after you've volunteered for longer than a quarter, free use of the facilities, a free T-shirt and staff party at the end of each quarter, and 10% discounts on the stuff sold there. Students, alumni, staff and general public can all volunteer to receive these benefits, though students get first priority these days. There is a meeting at the beginning of each quarter for people who wish to sign up.

Craft Center instructors get free use of the center, among other perks. Check for "Instructors Needed" fliers for specific classes, or suggest your own. You can also apply to be a teaching assistant. Potential instructors/TAs will be subject to an interview process, regardless of whether they already volunteer.

They also have an art gallery, which you can view during regular hours. Following the Craft Center CraftPalooza there is a Craft Center Silent Auction.

Looking from the South (e.g. Bainer Hall or the Hog Barn relocation) toward the South Silo, this is where the Craft Center entrance is

Stolen!
On the night of December 19 the Craft Center's courtyard area was broken into. The thief scaled a 10 foot exterior wall, tore down some chicken wire, and stole multiple items. The stolen item were: a Flame Working torch ($400) Flame Working eye protection ($250) various tools ($300) and colored glass ($75). The torch was bolted down to a work bench. Also, the two hoses to the torch were cut. These were the only items disturbed at all, so whoever did this had it all planned out. The police have been to the scene. They dusted for finger prints and found muddy footprints. The individual must be small in stature, judging by their footprints and the opening they were able to get in and out of.

The Flame Working studio is a place where individuals can learn to make glass objects such as marbles, goblets, figurines, and beads out of colorful glass. The Craft Center is open to the entire Davis community so it is difficult to believe that such selfishness exists out there. Anybody can come in and learn to use the torches. Now, we are one torch short which will impact our classes a great deal.

I believe that the individual is setting up their own shop rather than trying to sell the items. What was stolen is essentially one complete setup. I would like local glass dealers to look out for a new seller, and I would urge the local glass community to contact the Craft Center with any information.

Comments:

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2008-01-11 17:17:59   Is the Craft Center open in the summer time? Normal hours or reduced hours? Do you have to enroll in a class to use facilities or just pay the fees? —JasonDunne

2008-10-03 20:09:44   JasonDunne: I stayed here this past summer, and the Craft Center was indeed open during summer sessions at slightly reduced hours. If you already know how to use the equipment or something, or have already taken a class there, you can usually just pay the fees. To use the welding and woodworking studios, however, you have to have taken a beginning class or a one-day qualification class to show that you really know what you're doing, as a safety precaution. More info on the Craft Center website says:

"All of our studios are available for use whenever classes are not in session. If you are already skilled in a craft area, then you can buy a Day Use Pass or a Quarter Use Pass to use the facility. After the fifth week of the quarter, you may purchase a quarter pass at a reduced rate. If you register for a class that includes a class pass for a studio, you may purchase a quarter pass to use additional studios for 30 percent off the regular price. Studios require an orientation before use for the first time."

Edit: Oh gosh, I just realized the article already says this stuff. I hope having the info written out in three different ways is more clarifying than confusing. —AmyChow