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0 Written by Grace Horlings
From 1:00-3:00 pm once a month, the ULethbridge Art Gallery hosts Crafternoon.
The concept was originally “Knitting at Noon,” but as an organizer told me, this was “too niche,” and the timing conflicted with many students’ schedules. Inside the Hess Gallery, a number of tables are set up with an abundance of mediums available. Markers, yarn, watercolours, origami paper, thread and anything else a crafter could dream of. The table opposite offers refreshments —sweet treats, coffee, and tea. Kirsten Meiszinger is the Hess Gallery’s Program Coordinator. She is in charge of setup and promotion and does a great job of making sure all crafters feel welcome.
Of all the options available, she and I both chose embroidery as our craft that afternoon. She stitched away at a miniature version of her own house, complete with tiny flowers and windows. I haphazardly stitched a rainbow into a black piece of fabric—making up the pattern as I went along. While we worked, we got to know each other and the other crafters at our table. Being able to work with my hands while answering and asking simple get-to-know-you questions eased a lot of anxiety that comes with meeting new people. Kristen was accommodating to every new face that entered the gallery, asking about their majors, what they were working on, and where they were from. Eventually, conversations between crafters sprouted on their own.
This space is not only for students; community members are welcome as well. Crafternoon is an event for people of all ages and capabilities. Everyone has the ability to create, even if it’s just a stick figure on a blank page or a colourful knot of yarn. This event is a welcoming, calm environment in the gallery’s low lighting, with music softly playing and lots of friendly faces.
In the busyness of my own day-to-day, I often forget to let myself create for the purpose of letting loose. When I have free time that isn’t spent doing homework, socializing, or working, I have a tendency to let myself sink into my bed and doom scroll till my eyes cross. Exercising my mind and hands by making art for just an hour in the middle of my busy day left me with a sense of tranquillity and accomplishment. It becomes easy to forget the value that physical creation can have on personal mental health. This event targets busy students, providing an outlet to focus on something outside of deadlines and assignments. Crafting does not require artistic ability or creative juices. Simply doing something tactile can put you in a different frame of mind. For myself, having this time available with resources provided was helpful in pushing me to create. The biggest struggle can often be finding the time to be proactive about these things. Crafternoon cut out this middle problem.
I urge students to use this program to their advantage. Even if you don’t feel like crafting, this could be an opportunity for you to grab a cup of tea and sit in the gallery. These three hours are about taking the time to slow down and look at things from a different perspective.
There are many more opportunities for this, with many more upcoming Crafternoons as listed:
- October 8
- November 5
- December 3
- January 21
- February 11
- March 11
- April 1
- May 6
- June 3
- July 8
- August 5
Take advantage of this program and let yourself craft unabashedly for the sake of creating!
Source:
CrafterNoon – University of Lethbridge Art Gallery. University of Lethbridge Art Gallery – https://artgallery.uleth.ca/crafternoon/
