SIUC Student Center Craft Shop
Front Counter
General information
LocationCarbondale, Illinois, USA
Inaugurated1 January 1975
OwnerSouthern Illinois University Carbondale
Website
http://www.siucstudentcenter.org/craft-shop

SIUC Craft Shop

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The SIUC Craft Shop (hereafter referred to as the Craft Shop) is in the basement of the SIUC Student Center located on the Southern Illinois Univeristy Carbondale campus. The Craft Shop was first proposed in 1975 with operation beginning in 1976.[1] The original intent was to "...enable the Student Center to provide an important service in satisfying educational and recreational needs of the University student while on the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale campus.". [2] The Craft Shop still follows this mission today by offering a wide variety of classes, private lessons, workshops, walk in activities, and numerous other art and craft based actives. The Craft Shop is composed of several different areas; a woodshop, a ceramic studio, paint bar 1 and 2, Saluki Spokes, and a front counter/work area.[3]

Activities

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The Craft Shop's main goal is to provide services to the community and students. Walk-in activities are activities that can be done in a short amount of time with little skill. Classes are available that can run several weeks and teach a new skill. Private lessons are given by a qualified instructor in a one-on-one setting. Group activities are also available for parties or school outings.

Woodshop

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The Craft shop has a woodshop that is located across the Big Muddy room. This shop is open to students, facility, and all members of the community 18 and above. A pass must be purchased to use the woodshop from the Craft Shop and can range from one day of use to a whole semester. [4] Tools include: Table saw, routers, bandsaws, planers, sanders, radial arm saw, numerous hand tools and clamps, hand power tools, and several other specific tools for woodworking. The woodshop also has a range of lumber that can be purchased for use in projects, with a woods list on the website here. Users can bring their own wood, although treat and green wood are not allowed.

Ceramic Studio

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The ceramic studio is free and open to anybody to use, provided they buy the clay they use from the Craft Shop. The cost of clay covers using the ceramic studio, firing, and glazing. The ceramic studio has 9 throwing wheels, one of which is wheelchair accessible[5]. Several areas allow for hand building and other clay based activities, such as glazing. Both glazes and slips are available on site to use. Pieces are fired on a semi-regular schedule, or whenever there is enough to fill the kiln. Unclaimed projects will held in the studio for about a month, before being moved into storage and then eventually destroyed.'

Paint Bar

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The Craft Shop has a large work area, down from the front counter, called the paint bar. This is where most of the classes, walk in activities, and main craft/art projects are carried out. Projects can range in complexity from gluing pieces of glass onto a candle holder, to sculpting a costume mold over the course of a year[6]. For a list of available activities or workshops, see the SIUC Craft Shop main page.

Frame Shop

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The Craft Shop has a professional frame shop that does custom framing and also teaches a few framing related classes.[7]

Saluki Spokes

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Saluki spokes is a service the Craft Shop offers to help repair and tuneup bikes. Tools and expertise are available to help repair bikes.

Craft Sales

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The Craft Shop has been running several annual craft sales for the last 30 years[8]. All vendor's items must be handmade and are inspected before being allowed to sell.


  1. ^ [Zivkovich, Kay M. Pic. An Exploration Of Craft Shop Facilities In Selected University Student Unions. : 1979. Print.]
  2. ^ Minutes of the SIU Board of Trustees meeting, December 1976
  3. ^ "Student Center." Craft Shop. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. <http://studentcenter.siu.edu/things-to-do/craft-shop/>.
  4. ^ "Student Center." Woodshop. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://studentcenter.siu.edu/things-to-do/craft-shop/woodshop/>.
  5. ^ "DE Archives." Student Center Craft Shop Gets New Pottery wheel. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://archives.dailyegyptian.com/imported-20111018202135/2001/10/11/student-center-craft-shop-gets-new-pottery-wheel.html>.
  6. ^ "Beware of €˜Pumpkinhead’ This Halloween." Beware of 'Pumpkinhead' This Halloween. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://news.siu.edu/news/October09/102809cjm9286.html>.
  7. ^ http://studentcenter.siu.edu/things-to-do/craft-shop/frame-shop/
  8. ^ "Student Center." Craft Sales. Web. 03 May 2012. <http://studentcenter.siu.edu/things-to-do/craft-shop/craft-sales/>.