Facilities
All studio art areas are housed within Wey Hall, adjacent to the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. Students have 24-hour access to the building. Individual studio areas are open with 24-hour access, card-swipe 24-hour access, or monitored access during selected hours depending on the safety and security concerns of the equipment and materials being used.
CLAY
The Clay studio is housed in a 1500 sq. ft. studio that encompasses hand-building, throwing areas, casting area and a fully stocked glaze and mixing room, and indoor kiln room.
- 24 cu. ft. downdraft Giel Kiln
- 7 cu. ft. downdraft gas kiln
- Three electric kilns (one of which is a large 20 cu. ft. coffin kiln for firing large-scale work)
- Raku kiln and test kiln
- 3D printer- designated for ceramic material
- 16 electric pottery wheels, two a slab rollers, two spray booths for glazing, a sandblasting booth, tile saw and belt sander
FIBERS
The Fibers studio is housed in two adjacent studios and includes:
- fully stocked dye kitchen with three gas burners and three large sinks
- paper making facility with Hollander beater and numerous moulds and deckles
- thirteen multi-harness floor looms
- one vertical tapestry loom
- one 24-harness computerized dobby loom
- two Janome sewing machines
- one industrial sewing machine
- six 4’ x 8’ padded print surfaces
- work surfaces for cutting, sewing, and off-loom structural processes
- twelve small padded portable print surfaces
- screen printing exposure unit and wash-out sink
- spinning wheels and hand- and drum-carders
- washer and dryer
- small appliances and tools
METALSMITHING & JEWELRY DESIGN
The Metalsmithing & Jewelry Design studio is located of the lobby of the building’s first floor and houses equipment for:
- silver soldering and fabrication
- etching
- roller-printing
- forming
- raising
- casting
- machining
- hydraulic press forming
- enameling
- patination
- polishing
- anodizing
- plating
- powder coating
A large array of metalsmithing equipment, hand tools, and power tools is available to students during class as well as over 24 hours per week of monitored open studio work times.
The main studio also houses an adjoined rapid prototyping studio called the Digital Craft Research Lab. The DCRL facility houses:
- computers, software and hardware for 3D modeling
- 3D scanning
- FDM and SLA 3D printing
- vinyl cutting
- small scale CNC milling
The Digital Craft Research Lab’s goal is to foster innovative, creative research in the areas of design, craft, and art by combining advanced digital technology with traditional craft practice. The DCRL fosters interdisciplinary design research, material exploration, and innovation through making.
PAINTING and DRAWING
- Large, well equipped studios for painting and drawing are open 24 hours, seven days a week, with secure building access
- Painting Studio is approximately 3000 sq. ft.
- Separate drawing studio is about 1800 sq ft.
- Studios have a variety of tools, easels, charrettes, and work tables.
PHOTOGRAPHY
- Black and white film darkroom
- Advanced black and white / alternative process darkroom
- UV exposure units for alternative processes
- Lighting studio with constant lights and strobes
- Computer lab with 21” iMac workstations
- 17”, 22”, and 44” Epson printers
- Epson V700 scanners
- Canon and Sony cameras and lenses available for student check-out
- 35mm, medium format, and 4x5 cameras
PRINTMAKING
The Printmaking Area has two well-equipped studios located on the first floor of Wey Hall. A digital lab, a combined, lecture/critique/print curating space and a photography studio are also accessible to currently enrolled printmaking students. Advanced students are granted additional, shared workspace where personal and flat file storage is available.
Press Room equipment includes:
- Takach Combination Etching & Lithography Press for plates/stones up to 50x33"
- Takach Etching Press for plates up to 42x30"
- Charles Brand Etching Press for plates up to 44x28"
- Takach-Garfield Lithography Press for plates/stones up to 30x48"
- OVAC exposure unit for photopolymer platemaking
- Acrylic airbrush/aquatint spray booth
- Hot plates and ventilated ferric chloride/saline sulfate etching area
- Litho stone graining sink
- Drying racks
- Large selection of rollers and brayers
- Glass-topped inking areas and tabletop work spaces
Silkscreen Shop equipment includes:
- Amerigraph 150 exposure unit for screens up to 42" square
- Nuarc exposure unit for screens up to 28"x30"
- Large, lighted spray booth for washing screens
- Individual printing stations and tabletop work spaces
- Drying racks
- Screen drying dark box
The Printmaking and Art Photography Area's Digital Studio includes:
- Apple Macintosh platform w/ the latest Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Three Epson scanners
- Epson printers: small, medium and large format for various types of paper and film media
SCULPTURE
Our facilities encourage traditional fabrication practices, as well as experimental projects and processes.
Comprehensive woodshop contains:
- Saw Stop Table saw
- Panel saw
- Band saws
- Scroll saws
- Jointer
- Planer
- Drill presses
- Stationary sander
The woodshop serves all studio classes in the department and is available for after hour use through studio monitor supervision.
Large metal fabrication studio includes:
- Access to computer labs
- Numerous welders (MIG, TIG, Oxy/Acetylene)
- Plasma cutter
- Forge
- Media blaster
- Metal fabrication tool include multiple band saws, hoists, benders, and rollers
The Appalachian State University Sculpture department is one of three universities across the state to have a fully functioning foundry.
- Foundry is equipped to pour bronze, aluminum, and cast iron
- Includes a plaster area and wax-working area
Large general work space includes:
- Stone and wood carving yard
- Studio space for advanced students
- Presentation area for larger works
In an effort to expand student access to new technologies, the facilities also provide rapid prototyping technologies including:
- Small computer lab
- 3D Printers
- Shopbot CNC milling machine
- New media cabinet containing video cameras, projectors, electronics, and audio equipment