The Bowdoin Craft Center has struck a chord on campus this fall by offering free, spontaneous “pop-up classes” in Smith Union three times a month. These classes encourage students to drop in and make small decorations for their dorm rooms, and attendees do not need Craft Center memberships.
The pop-up classes are new this year, but they are already becoming popular with students as an enjoyable way to de-stress during the week and become involved with the Craft Center.
This past Monday night, Lonie Ellis and Rose Nelson, both teaching artists at Bowdoin, offered a pop-up class where students could design their own dorm room lampshades. 
Although the pop-up class was only supposed to run until 8 p.m., it was so popular that students stayed until 10 p.m. when they ran out of supplies. 
The quick, “make and take” nature of the pop-up classes allows students to stop by on their way through the Union. More students participate in the pop-up classes than scheduled Craft Center classes because they can stay anywhere from five minutes to the full two hours and do not have to sign up in advance.
Bonnie Pardue, who is leading the initiative, is the director of the Craft Center and has been working at Bowdoin for 25 years. 
She saw a demand for the pop-up classes and wanted to offer them so that more Bowdoin students could take advantage of the Craft Center. She hopes to work with students in determining the future of these classes. 
“I love talking to the students and getting to know them. It’s the highlight of my job,” said Pardue.
 “If students send me an email with a project they want to do, we can make sure that happens.”
The Craft Center has advertised pop-up classes through the Orbit Digest, and also promoted them through word of mouth. 
“I am a proctor and I would certainly advise my kids to come here,” said Arhea Marshall ’15, who attended the Monday lampshade class.
Nelson said that Bowdoin’s new initiative is part of a larger pop-up trend happening in the art world. 
“It is really going to catch on,” she said. “It’s a trend that’s happening with pop-up art shows in Portland. It’s just the way things are going. It absolutely makes sense.”
In early October, the Craft Center will be offering a pop-up class called “Bees, Bees and more Bees”—with a beekeeping talk and demonstration from a local beekeeper—and a mending class, at which a local seamstress will teach students basic sewing skills.
On October 29 the Craft Center will host a “Witchcraft Night,” with Halloween-themed crafts such as cookie decorating and mask making.
The pop-up classes will continue to be offered throughout the year, and could become a permanent fixture in Smith Union on weekday nights. 
“We’ll have to continue running them, now that they’re so popular,” said Pardue, “We ran out of supplies last time, even though we bought a lot of extras.”