Alumni & Friends Night at the Parachute Factory

Over the past couple of years, those in Student Craft have been looking for ways to challenge and nurture each other and expand the breadth of craft that they share with their students. The Student Craft Program, now in its second century, is an important intersection of learning, work, creativity and Berea’s Great Commitments.

One way they have achieved this is through a Craft Apprenticeship Program, where visiting artists travel to Berea and work alongside our students for a period of three to five months. Apprentices receive support to develop and expand their craft while providing different perspectives on craft experience to our students.

Another way is to provide an opportunity for each Student Craft staff member and visiting apprentice to nurture their creativity through the creation of a piece or a small collection of pieces. A show at The Parachute Factory in Lexington currently features these works, along with the photography of Justin Skeens, Berea’s director of digital storytelling (and long-time Student Craft photographer), and two of the early apprentices, Chris True and Stella Welsh. This show highlights 40 individual pieces created by 14 staff and apprentice contributors.

We invite you to join us for an Alumni & Friends Night at The Parachute Factory in Lexington on Friday, July 29, from 6-8 p.m. It will be a wonderful opportunity to meet the staff from Student Craft and view the remarkable creations. If you can’t make it that evening, the items will be on display and available for purchase for the entire month of July. Sales of these pieces will contribute to supporting the wonderful work of The Parachute Factory and the educational mission of Berea College.