Sewing, Painting and Tiny Jam Sessions: DACE Studio Brings Art into Everyday Life

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 Davidson 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 Davidson 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 Davidson College 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 Davidson, 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 Davidson.”

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 Davidson 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.”