Reimagining Art and Creativity
Creatively Realizing Art and Fun Together (C.R.A.F.T.) Endowment
Building community through craft
A UC San Diego treasure once lost has resurfaced in an era of expansion and transformation for the university. The Craft Center, a beloved space that nurtured creativity for decades, closed in 2012 due to vital safety renovations. With the help of fond community members, alumni, staff and students, the Craft Center’s reimagining and reopening has now become a reality in the new North Torrey Pines Living and Learning Neighborhood.
Alumna Wendy Kwok ’99, who found her passion for glass art in a paperweight at the 1996 Craft Center fair, is resolved to ensure equitable student access to the new Craft Center. Majoring in the biological sciences, she found the Craft Center to be a refuge from her rigorous studies, and she wishes to make the same creative escape available to all students through her Creatively Realizing Art and Fun Together (C.R.A.F.T.) Endowment.
“I hope this endowment empowers students in all fields of study, as the Craft Center provides a safe space for self-expression and wellness of the mind and spirit,” said Wendy. She also hopes to encourage others to join her in enhancing the student experience with matching gifts toward her $250,000 inspiration challenge contribution to the endowment.
The C.R.A.F.T. Endowment will support student participation in Craft Center programs including classes, workshops, events and exhibitions at little to no cost. Steps from dining, housing and lecture halls, students will explore favorites like ceramics, jewelry-making and woodworking, and new programs such as surfboard shaping and culinary arts — and along the way, they’ll find their own muse for a lifetime of discovery and connection.