By SUSAN JONES
Even though most students are gone, Pitt’s Center for Creativity doesn’t shut down for the summer.
This year the center has been particularly active with activities almost every week in June and July.
“Faculty and (especially) staff can have a bit more flexibility in their schedules during the summer, and so they can more easily attend a workshop,” said Erik Schuckers, interim co-director of the C4C. “And since the C4C is for everyone at Pitt, a summer workshop can be a great way to introduce our resources to those constituencies.”
There also were more people in the University Library System who were interested in facilitating a workshop this summer.
The workshops ideally have between 20 and 25 people, and Schuckers said they have been filling up. Some of the upcoming sessions have waiting lists, but he said they also know that some people won’t show up.
“People sometimes have a little bit of extra creative energy in the summer because the pace is different from the academic year, and that’s true even of the students as well as the staff and faculty through the summer,” Schuckers said. “We wanted to emphasize that creativity is a year-round thing. It doesn’t take a summer break.”
The summer programs also help introduce faculty and staff “to what we have, so that they know we’re a resource for them all year round,” he said. And it let’s them know what the different spaces are that the C4C manages, which include: The Workshop, on the lower level of the University Store on Fifth; the Text & conText Lab, on the third floor of Hillman Library; and The Understory, in the basement of the Cathedral of Learning.
This fall, Schuckers said they’ll be offering more opportunities, along with Pitt Sustainability, for people to participate in the Climate Change Quilt project, including sessions to create a quilt square that will be part of a nationwide effort.
Still coming up this summer:
Weaving Calm: Paper, Process & Presence: 4-5:30 p.m. June 30, Text & conText Lab (Hillman Library 310). Register now. Join Madeleine Chesek-Welch from the University Library System for a hands-on paper weaving workshop to learn (or revisit) a simple weaving technique while experimenting with imagery and composition. The session also will have a discussion of the history of women’s roles in crafting, as well as the meditative qualities of artmaking and the value of slowing down through creative practice, as you develop your own unique woven piece. All materials will be provided, and no prior experience is needed.
Freedom on the Press: Print a Broadside: 4-5:30 p.m. July 7, Text & conText Lab. Register now. The first copies of the Declaration of Independence to be distributed to the public were printed on July 4, 1776, as broadsides. Broadsides, or single sheets of paper printed on one side, are a form of printed ephemera, created for a specific, limited purpose and generally designed to be discarded after use. These sheets were posted, publicly distributed, and sometimes sold. Broadsides were a popular communication tool in early America, similar to contemporary posters. Learn more about broadsides and early American printing through the examination of 18th and 19th-century (and some contemporary) American ephemera from the University of Pittsburgh Library System’s Archives & Special Collections. Then get hands-on as you typeset and print your own broadside.
Beyond Paper: Monoprints on Fabric: Noon-1:15 p.m. July 9, The Understory (Cathedral of Learning basement, B50). Register now. Explore the world of printmaking beyond paper. Learn from the C4C’s Chloe Baierl how to transfer designs, textures and natural materials like leaves onto fabric, using monoprint techniques that encourage experimentation and discovery. Bring your own clothing or fabric or work with some of the C4C’s to create loose, printed textiles that can become patches, quilting pieces, sewing projects or standalone works of art. No prior art experience is needed.
Ink + Thread: Summer Journal Making: 4-5:30 p.m. July 23, Text & conText Lab. Register now. Make your own one-of-a-kind monoprint with Ariel Skovera from the Center for Creativity that will serve as the cover of a handmade mini-journal, then learn how to bind the pages with a simple stitch technique. Experience the way different art forms can work together to create something completely personal and unique. No prior experience necessary; all materials provided.
Cozy Collage: Cut, Paste, and Unwind: 3:30-5 p.m. July 29, The Workshop (downstairs, the University Store on Fifth). Register now. The C4C will provide a wide assortment of artsy collage materials, vintage images, quirky trinkets, relaxing music, and tasty snacks to help spark your creativity. Decorate your own bookmark, postcard, notebook, or other small keepsake using our curated collection of weird and wonderful supplies, and leave with something completely unique. No previous experience necessary. Facilitated by Anaïs Grateau and Madison Wick, University Library System.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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