Educational Accessibility
and the Liberal Arts
For many of our students, involvement with Student Craft is their first time formally exploring art, craft, and design—an example of the unique opportunities that are part of the Berea College experience.
Through these explorations and many others like them within Berea College’s Labor Program, we expand the learning opportunities of a liberal arts education beyond the lessons in the classroom. These experiences directly support the professional goals our students are pursuing and pave the way toward a future avocation nurturing and supporting the arts. We hope you enjoy this new format and get to know Student Craft a little more through the stories we share.
Ellen ’24
Ellen ’24 is a studio art major with a concentration in sculpture. During the 22-23 academic year Ellen led an in-depth exploration of glazes and glaze chemistry within the ceramic’s studio. The result of this semester long exploration is this years Flux Collection of ceramics which celebrates the depth, beauty and variation that is only possible with in-studio glaze formulations.
Shopping link coming soon.
The People Collection Stool
These stools — available in 14 vibrant colors — extend the student design work started by students Rachel Bates ’20 and Zoe Cowley ’20 in ceramics into the woodshop.
New People Collection Bowls
Our ceramics students designed these two collections as a way of representing the diversity of the people who make up our community and the richness of the geographic place in which we are located.
New People Collection Mugs
Our ceramics students designed these two collections as a way of representing the diversity of the people who make up our community and the richness of the geographic place in which we are located.
The People Collection
Katie Bister
Continuing the design work of Rachel Bates and Zoe Cowley ’20 and fellow woodcraft students design of The People Collection Stool, Katie Bister ’23 expanded that Windsor style design along with a conceptual framework that supports our 5th Great Commitment to explore the engineering challenges involved in designing a rocking chair for student production. It was important to Katie that this was an active chair – a rocking chair free of arms allows freedom and movement, which allows for knitting, playing guitar or any other seated activity. We are proud that Katie elected to join the Student Craft staff after graduation and is presently serving as Manager of the Woodworking School at Pine Croft. https://pinecroftwoodschool.com/
People Rocking Chair
Our People Rocking Chairs are available in variety of painted colors and natural finished woods.
Summer Storm Quilt
After studying batik fabrics and learning about the process of how batiks are made, students found inspiration in images of water and earth, imagining the cloth laid outside after dyeing. Together, they collected images of summer rainstorms then dissected and abstracted the colors and imagery. Led by Dora ’23, students learned about the process of improvisational quilting to create a variable composition that allows each quilt to be one of a kind while maintaining consistency. The batiks used for this quilt were sourced from a fair-trade distributor that works with artists in Indonesia to create unique, small batch fabrics.
Symphony Scarves & Quilted Tapestry
Leeroy ’23
Leeroy is a biology major who is also engaged with the Music Department and Dance communities at Berea College. This year, we will launch two products he designed to support understanding of the Great Commitments and his interests. The first is the Symphony scarf with a treadle pattern and raw material selection determined by translating the melody of “A Beautiful Noise”—a song by Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlisle—into a weaving pattern. Leeroy’s other design contribution is a quilting square that explores the transitional justice teachings of Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative.
Symphony Scarf
Designed by Leeroy, this song and scarf collection urges everyone to use their voice to vote! Available in Teal and Maroon.
Garden Sampler Quilted Tapestry
Featuring 9 student designed quilt squares, each created with the intention of developing a richer understanding of the college’s Great Commitments. Coming soon to Design Within Reach, the Garden Sampler Quilted Tapestry will be added to the Crafting Diversity Collection in the Spring of 2023.
Forest Broom, Unity Hearth Broom, & Dustpan (NEW!)
Elaine ’23
Elaine is a biology major with a keen interest in local plant life. This past summer, she completed an internship with our director of weaving, Erin Miller, caring for and processing natural dye materials grown at the College Greenhouse and foraged within the Berea College Forest. Elaine is also a key member of our Woodcraft team and hopes to use the experience she has gained in Craft to further her future career as a botanist. Our Forest Broom, new Unity Hearth Broom, and new Dustpan and Naturally Dyed Brush are constructed using this innovative process. We will feature more of this exciting work in upcoming chapters.
Forest Shaker Braid Broom
Crafted entirely by hand, the handles for this broom were harvested from the Berea College Forest by staff and students, and include maple, sassafras and beech.
Unity Hearthsweep
These hearthbrooms represent a unique construction concept that results in an incredibly strong, graceful, and functional hearthbroom. Available in Natural and Multi-colored.
Dustpan and Broom Set
Designed as a group project with students and staff from Woodcraft and Broomcraft, this cherry dustpan and brush dyed with natural madder exemplifies the beauty of simple, clean and purposeful design.
Community Baskets
Oscar ’25
Oscar aspires to a career in medicine and is keenly focused on chemistry and biochemistry. Within Woodcraft, his work supports our Community Basket production, where he has learned about steam bending and bent-lamination techniques. While reading the Journal of Science at the library, Oscar stumbled onto an article about chemical delignification of wood for bending purposes and spent the spring conducting experiments in the hopes of using this technique in a future Craft design.
Community Baskets
This basket, inspired by shaker boxes, demonstrates the strength achieved by a community of 146 individual pieces working in unison. Available in three colors.
