Mark Witzling, Executive Director, Craft Alliance
THROWN FROM THE LOOP Written by Rob Levy / Photos by Joe Martinez
The former Gunther Electronics building at 5080 Delmar Boulevard is once again pulsating with energy thanks to its new occupant, Craft Alliance. Located in the Delmar Maker District, the renovated digs have consolidated the Craft Alliance offices, studios, gift shop and art space onto one floor, enabling the organization to provide more programming and broader educational outreach. While leaving the five decades of history and tradition of their former headquarters in the University City Loop was difficult, this expansion continues Craft Alliance’s mission of revealing the power of craft’s unique qualities, its evolving role in society and its full potential for innovation. The vibrant new space is designed to enhance interaction among artists, teachers, students and surrounding communities. Executive Director Mark Witzling commented on the obstacles Craft Alliance faced as it relocated to a new site that was much larger in size from their old home. “The biggest thing was figuring out how to coordinate a complete relocation and a complete redevelopment of a building while still serving the community with arts programming,” he said. “We continued our classes and exhibitions that were already in place, so a lot of it came down to timing.” Witzling, who took over in 2018, explains that Craft Alliance’s journey to last October’s opening in their new neighborhood was the culmination of a long process. “In the summer of 2019, we had decided to consolidate our Grand Center location into our space in the Loop. We did that knowing that we 66 slmag.net
would eventually need to find a new location. The building in the Delmar Loop served us well but we were outgrowing it, and ultimately, we knew that we needed to have a single location in a place that made sense for Craft Alliance strategically.” The Delmar Maker District, with a mission to create a destination for locals and tourists to create, learn, shop and socialize, offered the perfect opportunity. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Jim McKelvey and Doug Auer, the Delmar Maker District supports local artists, veterans and community members to facilitate engagement in the arts. It was McKelvey’s and Auer’s shared love of glassblowing that inspired them to start Third Degree Glass Factory in the 5200 block of Delmar in 2002. They’re now building on the success of that venture to tackle a much larger project together: the revitalization of the surrounding blocks of Delmar. According to Witzling, the notion of moving to the blossoming Maker District gained momentum following a series of conversations with colleagues already in the District. As talks intensified, one thing led to another, which eventually moved into deep discussions about repositioning the entire organization. As plans to move were set in motion, he became even more excited. “We are excited to be a part of the Delmar Maker District. The collaboration between all of the organizations down here -- The Magic House, MADE Makerspace and Third Degree Glass Factory -- has all of us constantly working together as we look for ways to bring the community together. We want all of the artists here and at the other organizations to interact with one another. That is part of the vision.”
