Our Mission
The Student Union Craft Center, established in 1971 through the efforts of students, serves to enrich UMass Amherst and Five-College life. The organization provides craft instruction and facilities in an inspiring and encouraging environment. It is a multidisciplinary agency that fuses art, teaching, and business, while cultivating freeform entrepreneurial artistic education without academic restriction for students, faculty, and staff of UMass and the Five College communities.
History
The origins of the Craft Center is one of creativity, friendships, education and entrepreneurship. In 1971, while driving between the five colleges, Penny Worman, a leather artisan, stopped to pick up a hitchhiker. Upon seeing the many belts in Worman's car, the hitchhiker asked her what her occupation was. Worman told him that she makes a living by going between the colleges teaching people how to craft belts.
The hitchhiker then proceeded to tell Worman of a student craft guild at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where they needed a professional supervisor. Worman applied and many years later, the Student Union Craft Center is serving students in ways Worman might have only imagined. That winter of 1971, the students of UMass Amherst made 2,000 belts between November and the end of exams. Such productivity has remained the tradition in this modest space located in the Student Union the space where students go, make crafts, and depart as friends.
Hiring
We are seeking creative, dedicated individuals for positions on our staff for our next hiring cycle, Fall 2026. Applicants must have expertise in at least one of our craft areas and/or transferable skills such as: print making of any kind, clay/ceramics/pottery, zine-making, knitting/crochet, wood fabrication, etc. Craft Center staff members participate in all aspects of the business, making for a highly involved, intensive, and rewarding job.
The Student Union Craft Center is a dynamic and unique facility. We provide tools, materials, and instruction in ten distinct areas: beading, b&w film photography, bookmaking, felting/fiber arts, leather, metalsmithing, sewing, silk painting, screen-printing, and stained glass. This hiring cycle, Fall 2026, we are looking to hire folks for our sewing, beading, metalsmithing and leather craft areas.
Click here to fill out our application form. (You must use your UMass email credentials in order to apply)
Application deadline is 9/20/2026 at 8pm. All applications will be reviewed shortly thereafter.
Contact, Location, and Hours
CONTACT
Email: @email
Instagram: @sucraftcenter
LOCATION
41 Campus Center Way
239 Student Union Building
Amherst, MA 01003
Hours: We are closed for summer break! We will update our hours when we re-open, September 2026.