CRAFT & MATERIAL STUDIES

Craft and Material Studies investigates the expressive possibilities of materials through rigorous hands-on work.

blown and stamped glass sculpture in cool colors

Yazmin Dabbneh

A display case full of spherical yellow, purple, blue and pink glass sculptures.

Jacob Martinez

Students engage in disciplined making practices that touch on sculpture, functional objects, design, and decorative arts. Craft students focus on the acquisition of traditional skills, alongside digital tools, experimental approaches to develop an informed and innovative use of materials. Craft helps students cultivate an individualized studio practice that is informed by an understanding of materials and the larger artistic, social and cultural contexts.

Five Specialties

While students explore the expressive possibilities of a variety of materials, they remain grounded in a single material discipline: Ceramics, Glass, Fiber and Textiles or Metalsmithing and Jewelry.

Ceramics

Fiber & Textiles

Glass

Metalsmithing & Jewelry

Digital Fabrication Minor

Craft & Material Studies graduates can expect to work in a vast array of industries from a studio practice/small business entrepreneurship, freelance artist/designer for manufacturing and architecture to clay modeling and color and trim for the auto industry.

CAREER CHOICES

Art Educator
Blacksmith
Ceramic Artist
Clay Modeler
Color and Trim Designer
Colorist
Costume Designer
Fashion Accessories Designer
Furniture Designer

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Gallery Owner
Glass Artist
Independent Artist
Jewelry Designer
Material Designer
Metalsmith
Mold Maker
Ornamental Architecture Fabricator
Print & Pattern Designer
Prop Designer
Sculptor
Set Designer
Surface Designer
Textile Designer
Tile Designer

Previous Internships

AK Services
Anderson Ranch Arts Center
Anthropologie
Arden Companies
Art Farm
Baron Glassworks
City Bird
Collins and Aikman
Context Furniture
Crypton Fabrics
DVF (Diane von Furstenberg)
Edsel and Eleanor Ford House

Elements
Furnace Hot Glass
General Motors
Greenfield Village
Hayashi of America
Italmoda Furniture
Jean Bartlett
Lankton Metal Design
Mark A Young Jewelers
Marlaina Stone
METTAL
Miriam Haskell

Mount Clemens Blown Glass
Ox-Bow
Pilchuck Glass School
Pittsburgh Glass Center
Proenza Schouler
Queso Cabeza Farm
Revolution Gallery
Stefani & Co
StyleNaturale
Walt Disney World
Wet Dog Glass

'04

Golnaz Armin

Senior Design Director
Nike, Inc.

'03

Jeremy Levitt

Furniture and Lighting Designer
Part and Labor Design NYC

'10

Steven McShane

Co-Founder
Fortress Studios

'16

Nabeela Najjar

Costume & Fashion Designer
Seamstressbee

'99

Israel A. Nordin

Co-Owner
Detroit Design Ctr.

'96

Jeanette Puig-Pey

Global Design Manager, Color & Materials | Advanced R&D
Lear

'14

Travis Taylor

Lead Carpenter
Virtuoso Design+Build

'02

Joshua Wojick

Crafts Programs and Trades Manager
The Henry Ford