Artsy, crafty have place to play

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Sara Csurilla
  • 39th Air Base Wing public affairs
High morale, it's a hot commodity! 

That's why places like the Arts and Crafts Center are such a big hit here. 

The Arts and Crafts Center strives to keep Airmen's morale at maximum levels by offering a variety of activities, classes and different crafty items for sale. 

From the engraving and framing shop, to the monthly art classes, fully equipped wood working center, full photographic services, Kodak Kiosk Center and the retail crafts store, the ACC's services can accommodate all types of artists on base. 

"At the engraving shop, we carry an array of wood, glass and marble plaques to choose from for awards or any type of ceremony," said Denise Rossignol, ACC director. "We carry a selection of emblems and accessories for official business and personal orders and our equipment can engrave name tags, name plates, awards, trophies and dog tags. No matter what people come in looking to create, we'll lend our creative minds to help them out." 

Only a few steps away from the engraving shop is the framing shop. 

The shop has walls lined with examples of their frames and it even has framed for on sale. You can bring in any type of prints, painting or portraits, and they'll frame it, or you can gain the skills yourself by taking the basic framing and matting class offered monthly. 

Along with the basic framing and matting class, the ACC offers other monthly classes for both children and adults. 

"We like to consider ourselves a skills development center for our Airmen here," Rossignol said. "People can learn how to do something they don't already know how to do, and then practice that skill here if they want." 

There are different classes offered every month. To find out which classes are available each month, visit www.39fss.com/arts.html. 

"I would suggest anybody with a creative bone in their body visit the ACC for one of their classes," said Airman 1st Class Jenna Goodwin, 39th Medical Operations Squadron. "I took the jewelry and cake decorating class and I really liked them. The teachers are very thorough, and they give you a lot of creative freedom with your own projects." 

If someone wanted to try practicing the things they learned in class, the retail crafts store is conveniently located across from the frame shop. 

"The crafts store has lots of supplies that complement our classes, such as jewelry and materials for cake decorating, but we also have a lot of odds and ends for all types of arts and crafts projects," Rossignol said. "Regardless of what type of hobbies people are into, like scrapbooking, painting or drawing, it's our job to carry the supplies so Incirlik members can have what they need to create what they want. So if we don't carry it now, just make a request and we'll do our best to get in the store." 

Another shop residing in the ACC is the wood shop. 

"This little corner shop provides a lot of tools needed for basic wood working projects," Rossignol said. "However, anybody looking to work on self-help projects are required to meet all safety requirements." 

The shop also offers the service of a wood working specialist who will create special orders for things like shadow boxes and plaques. 

One more shop hidden in the back of the ACC is the full photographic service studio.
Stocked with camera equipment and lights to help any photographer's photos look professional, the ACC' studio is available for members of Incirlik to rent out for their own use or for a professional photographer to take portraits. 

Last, but definitely not least, the ACC has their own Kodak Kiosk Center. 

"Being the only photo printing service for miles, it brings in a lot of customers," Rossignol said. "It's also very convenient because people can bring in any type of media to print their photos, and once our customers get a look at everything else offered at the ACC, they tend to stick around." 

So the next time you're looking to recreate a Leonardo Di Vinci painting, frame one or even sculpt the artist out of wood, the ACC can help do that.