The ASUNM Crafts Studio in the bottom level of the SUB is a mystery to most students, studio technician Marie Gardner said.
"It feels a little like being in a zoo sometimes," Gardner said. "Like people are pointing and saying, 'Look! Look at the artist.'"
She said few students realize the studio is not an isolated group of artists.
The studio is open to anyone interested in making jewelry, pottery, ceramics or knitting.
Patrick Trujillo, director of the craft studio, said the space isn't reserved for art majors.
"Most students think it's just for art students," Trujillo said. "But it's actually quite the opposite - we don't see that many art students."
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He said nursing, pharmacy, history and medical students come in to relieve stress from demanding schoolwork and schedules. Some dental students come in to build dexterity and strength in their fingers by making crafts or molding clay.
"It's a great place to de-stress," said Gardner, who is a biochemistry major. "You get to use a part of the brain you really don't use every day. And it's a good place to meet people. People can come in and start connecting with their fellow students."
The studio, which has been running for 45 years, is one of the oldest of its kind in New Mexico, Trujillo said.
Most of the studio's funds come from ASUNM and membership fees.
Membership costs $8 per month for students and $15 for faculty and staff. Art students receive a 50 percent discount. Community members pay $30 per month, since they aren't paying tuition, Gardner said. Students also get a free trial the first time they come in.
She said the studio does charge daily market prices for materials such as copper and silver, because they are limited resources, but the studio does not make a profit.
But these costs are minimal, especially in comparison to other studios in the state whose membership fees start at $150 a month, Trujillo said. Clay is free for members.
Gardner said the studio has 115 members, but she is looking to recruit at least 300.
"I'm shooting for a thousand," she said.
Gardner said that the more students who become members, the more funding the studio receives. With more funding, the studio can get more materials and expand its hours so students have more opportunities to make art.
The studio co-sponsors events with ASUNM Community Experience and Student Special Events to promote art and art education at UNM. Trujillo said the studio also hosts workshops every month, like the upcoming leather-making workshop in March.
The craft studio is one of only a few like it in the country, Gardner said.
The studio has two kilns, six working pottery wheels and a jewelry station. There is also yarn for knitting, and a knitting club meets at the studio every Sunday from 5 to 7 p.m.
Trujillo said the best art created in the studio is showcased in the display case in the south entrance of the SUB's lower level. Artists can take whatever they make.
Jewelry technician Eliana Enriquez said she likes coming to the craft studio because it gives her an easy way to get creative.
"I just like the opportunity this place provides," she said. "You get to express yourself. If students realized it was here, it could make things so much better for them. And it's expensive to do it on your own. Here, you have everything you need."
The staff offers instruction if members are unfamiliar with the materials.
"We do teach you how to work with everything," Gardner said. "You don't need to know anything about it. We'll show you how."
The ASUNM Crafts Studio is open seven days a week.
ASUNM Crafts Studio
SUB
Room 1098
For hours, call 277-6544
