91����

It�s a Thursday afternoon near the end of the spring semester, and campus is bursting with conversation, laughter and creativity. Down the stairs, in the north basement of Chambers Building, the 91���� Arts and Creative Engagement (DACE) Studio is filled with students making collages, gluing final projects, mending ripped jeans and trading art supplies. 

Uday Ahuja �26 traces a picture of singer and artist Patti Smith onto a rubber printmaking block and then carefully chisels along the lines with a carving tool. He borrows a roller from another student, spreads yellow ink over the block and stamps his drawing onto a sheet of red construction paper. 

It�s not for a grade, he says, but is part of a horse-themed collage he�s making for his friend, Ethan Brennan �28. Just before this, he typed out the lyrics to Patti Smith�s Horses on the studio�s mid-20th century typewriter to make another piece of the collage. 

�For me, DACE is about making things for my friends to show them they�re important to me,� Ahuja said. �I don�t believe art should be sectioned off from everyday life. I made a nameplate down here for one of my friends that she now uses to prop up her window.�

Student crafts and shelves packed with art supplies line the walls of the DACE Studio. It�s a small space filled with the sounds of creativity: the click of typewriter keys, the hum of the sewing machines, conversation and laughter.  

A sociology major and William Holt Terry Scholar, Ahuja intends to make the most of the DACE Studio before he graduates. It�s a low-stakes environment where he can learn from his classmates and make art just for the fun of it. 

�It�s fun to fail at the DACE Studio,� he said. �I�ve tried sewing, but I wasn�t great at it. My friend, Angie, taught me how to make paper stars recently. It�s valuable to create and learn from others, even if you only try something once or twice.�

A New Stage for Student Musicians  

When the DACE Studio first opened in 2023, Director Sherry Nelson envisioned a space where students across disciplines could tap into their creativity, regardless of their experience level. 

�We create in community,� she said. �That�s a very important part of who we are. The studio is about providing a third space outside of the classroom and making it accessible for all 91���� students to use.� 

A few times a year, Nelson and the DACE program managers transform the studio into a small concert venue, dimming the lights, clearing the floor and arranging chairs in front of a makeshift stage.

The Tiny DACE concert series, created in partnership with WALT 1610 91���� Student Radio, is a spin on NPR�s popular Tiny Desk concerts, where musicians perform for a small audience inside NPR music headquarters. Similarly, Tiny DACE concerts give students a chance to perform in front of an intimate gathering of their friends and classmates. 

Lennox Goslin �28 played violin at the April 11 Tiny DACE concert, sharing the stage with guitarist and singer Ben Council �29 and keyboardist Jacob Kim �26 before performing a few solo songs. 

Goslin doesn�t study music at 91����, but he took violin lessons for 10 years as a child and recently felt inspired to pick it back up. Playing at Tiny DACE gave him a chance to try performing without the pressure of a large audience. 

�Just by putting myself out there, I�ve been able to connect with other student musicians,� he said. �Everyone is so supportive, and I�ve learned more about some of the student bands at 91����.�

The idea for the concert series came up a few years ago at a DACE retreat, and Nelson said it made sense to collaborate with WALT. 

�I�m so glad we have a space like this that we can easily transform to fit whatever creative medium is happening,� she said. �It�s amazing how many creative outlets can stem from a single idea.�

Many of her Spanish 260 students are already familiar with visiting the DACE Studio for classes and personal projects. Theryn Miller �28 and her friends created a scrapbook for her roommate�s birthday. Ezra Pearson �29 helped his friends make their Halloween costumes. Margaret Norton �29 received hand-crafted gifts during Big Little week that the sophomores in her eating house created in the studio.

�It�s a space where you�re invited to try anything,� said Letson, who helps organize and maintain the studio for its many functions. �Whether you�re using creative materials to enhance the learning experience or just showing up for fun, movement and art should be a priority.�

The popularity of the DACE Studio in its first years on campus proves 91���� students across all disciplines and skill levels are searching for a creative outlet � a place beyond their classrooms and residence halls to connect, explore and make mistakes. 

�I'm thrilled students have found a home in the DACE Studio,� Nelson said. �This space wouldn�t be possible without the generosity of our alums, community members and friends of the arts. Your support allows us to keep expanding what this studio has to offer.�