By Jaria Butler

Students filled the air with the scent of paint and the sound of laughter while they customized vases in Studio A on Friday.

Studio A provided vases and materials to students participating in Free Craft Friday at the Adele H. Stamp Student Union. Each student had access to paint, brushes and cups of water to help decorate their vase.

Eesha Gogineni, a freshmen environmental science and policy major, said she attended the event because of her passion for painting. 

“I love art so much; I don’t always get the chance to do it on my own in my dorm, so I like to come out here and do it,” Gogineni said. “You don’t need to be good at painting. People come in here and just throw on colors, and they take it.”

Students’ lives can become repetitive until the weeks start to blend with each other, said Gogineni, but participating in Free Friday Crafts is a great change of pace. 

By the end of the night the tables were covered with dozens of unique vases; some had vibrant, electric and bubbly colors, while others had soft pastel colors. Every vase had a different design that showcased each student’s artistic abilities.

Free Friday Craft is held in Studio A every other Friday and allows students to enjoy and express their inner creativity through a variety of different themed crafts without having to worry about costs. 

In addition to vase painting, Free Friday Craft has offered terrapin-themed crafts, where students painted turtle suncatchers and turtle magnets. Some of their events have featured special appearances by the campus comfort dog Teddy the Terp. 

Chioma Opaigbeogy, a junior English major, found out about vase painting through a newsletter for art scholars and said more people should know that free crafts are offered.

“People appreciate free stuff,” Opaigbeogy said. “I know they have paint nights that people might know about, but being able to have actual physical items to paint is really fun.”

Students were able to take their vases home and enjoy their new artistic creations. 

Chloe Anzalone-Evans, a freshman engineering major, attended the event for the first time. 

Events like these promote students doing activities that are sober and safe, on top of being free, Anzalone-Evans said. This is an activity she’d recommend students go to.

Featured Image: Studio A provides brushes and water. Photo by Jaria Butler.