Become a Handicraft Member
Benefits of Membership
Creative Learning & Artistic Growth
- High-quality instruction across a wide range of crafts and artistic disciplines
- A welcoming environment with opportunities to try new things or deepen lifelong artistic practices
- Opportunities to remain intellectually and creatively engaged
- Three class terms each year (fall, winter, and spring) with multi-week courses
- Shorter workshops (few hours to half-days) that allow members to explore new skills without a full-term commitment
Specialized Resources & Equipment
- Access to weaving looms of varying sizes for member use
- Extensive collection of Nantucket basket molds loaned free to members
- Shared tools, studio spaces, and specialized resources that can be costly to access individually
Community & Social Connection
- Warm community built around shared creative interests
- Social gatherings, field trips, and more to foster friendship and connection
- Informal drop-ins for weaving, knitting, Mah-Jong, and more
- Mah-jong lessons, social play opportunities, and annual tournament
Tradition, Creativity & Camaraderie
- Participation in a historic Providence institution with more than 120 years of tradition
- Preservation and celebration of traditional handcrafts and artistic knowledge
- A community that values creativity and camaraderie
Membership Policies & Procedures
The Handicraft Club welcomes new women members throughout the year with a rolling admission policy.
Active Membership
To become an Active member, candidates must be proposed and seconded by two members. This policy also applies to those who are currently Members with Provisional Status (MPS).
It is the responsibility of the proposer and seconder to secure the proper documents for an application package and help set candidates’ expectations about the membership process.
temporary members
Members with Provisional Status (“MPS”)
We offer another way for women to participate, as follows: Member with Provisional Status (“MPS”).
A Member with Provisional Status has the best opportunity to try a variety of programs and get to know our members, as she can enroll in an unlimited number of classes and workshops in each of three consecutive terms (a “three-term MPS”) OR in each of two consecutive terms (a “two-term MPS”).
MPS members are invited to join all our social activities and special events.
For each term, MPS enrollment for classes and workshops opens one week after Active members begin enrollment.
● MPS members are not eligible to vote.
● MPS members are not eligible for rollover.
● MPS members generally apply for Active Membership as their MPS term is ending (or sooner if they wish).
To join as an MPS, interested candidates complete a short MPS application; it is not necessary to know a member to become an MPS.
For three-term MPS members:
● MPS membership lasts for 12 consecutive months and cannot be renewed.
● MPS members pay a non-refundable fee of $400, plus costs for classes or workshops.
For two-term MPS members:
● MPS membership lasts for two consecutive terms and cannot be renewed.
● MPS members pay a non-refundable fee of $200, plus costs for classes or workshops.
In the case of both the three-term and the two-term MPS membership, the non-refundable fee reduces the Initiation Fee that the MPS pays when she decides to become an Active member. For example, a three-term MPS member who becomes an Active member pays $300 upon initiation (the Initiation Fee of $700 less the $400 MPS fee already paid), plus the annual dues for her first year, prorated depending on when she joins.