\n\tBy SUSAN JONES<\/p>\n
\n\tEven though most students are gone, Pitt\u2019s Center for Creativity doesn\u2019t shut down for the summer.<\/p>\n
\n\tThis year the center has been particularly active with activities almost every week in June and July.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cFaculty and (especially) staff can have a bit more flexibility in their schedules during the summer, and so they can more easily attend a workshop,\u201d said Erik Schuckers,\u00a0 interim co-director of the C4C. \u201cAnd since the C4C is for everyone at Pitt, a summer workshop can be a great way to introduce our resources to those constituencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThere also were more people in the University Library System who were interested in facilitating a workshop this summer.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe 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\u2019t show up.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cPeople sometimes have a little bit of extra creative energy in the summer because the pace is different from the academic year, and that\u2019s true even of the students as well as the staff\u00a0 and faculty through the summer,\u201d Schuckers said. \u201cWe wanted to emphasize that creativity is a year-round thing. It doesn\u2019t take a summer break.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe summer programs also help introduce faculty and staff \u201cto what we have, so that they know we\u2019re a resource for them all year round,\u201d he said. And it let\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\n\tThis fall, Schuckers said they\u2019ll 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.<\/p>\n
\n\tStill coming up this summer:<\/p>\n
\n\tWeaving Calm: Paper, Process & Presence: 4-5:30 p.m. June 30, Text & conText Lab (Hillman Library 310). Register now.<\/a> 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \n\tFreedom on the Press: Print a Broadside: 4-5:30 p.m. July 7, Text & conText Lab. Register now.<\/a> 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\u2019s Archives & Special Collections. Then get hands-on as you typeset and print your own broadside.<\/p>\n \n\tBeyond Paper: Monoprints on Fabric: Noon-1:15 p.m. July 9, The Understory (Cathedral of Learning basement, B50). Register now.<\/a> Explore the world of printmaking beyond paper. Learn from the C4C\u2019s Chloe\u200b 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\u2019s to create loose, printed textiles that can become patches, quilting pieces, sewing projects or standalone works of art. No prior art experience is needed.<\/p>\n \n\tInk + Thread: Summer Journal Making: 4-5:30 p.m. July 23, Text & conText Lab. Register now.<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n \n\tCozy Collage: Cut, Paste, and Unwind: 3:30-5 p.m. July 29, The Workshop (downstairs, the University Store on Fifth). Register now.<\/a> 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 Ana\u00efs Grateau and Madison Wick, University Library System.<\/p>\n \n\tSusan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu<\/a> or 724-244-4042.<\/p>\n \n\t\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tHave a story idea or news to share? Share<\/a> it with the University Times.<\/p>\n