“While she is a full-time student at UTA, Martinez sees her crochet work and spending time with friends as a creative outlet. She enjoys sitting quietly and chatting as she works on her projects, crocheting away in any open space she can find.”
Kaylee Martinez connects with friends through her crochet projects
ABOUT MY PHOTO ESSAY
by Mia Kovachev
Kaylee Martinez is a junior biology major at UT Arlington with a minor in Mexicana studies, recognizable by the green streaks in her hair. Most days, she can be seen walking around campus with two friends, Xena Duly and David Andrade. While embracing the everyday student lifestyle, she also has picked up a unique skill over the years: crocheting.
Martinez said that she did not pick up this skill from any family member, although her grandmother has told her about a distant aunt who had the creative gene as well. She taught herself how to crochet when she was around nine years old, and has kept it up ever since then. She even opened an Etsy storefront to sell her creations at one time, although she currently sticks to commissioned pieces.
Martinez can be seen carrying a large black bag with her to class on occasion, which houses her supplies. As seen in the first photo, she enjoys spending time with her friends at any spot on campus while she creates clothes, jewelry and other crocheted goods such as a stuffed pumpkin. Earrings are a favorite jewelry item, as she likes to showcase a pair of flower earrings and The Nightmare Before Christmas themed earrings.
Friends and family members are her most frequent customers. Some of her more popular items are tops, including sleeveless and loose sweaters. In the photos, she can be seen wearing one of her favorite tops, a white long-sleeve sweater with hollow stitching. She said these take awhile, but she works quickly and diligently to get them done.
While she is a full-time student at UTA, Martinez sees her crochet work and spending time with friends as a creative outlet. She enjoys sitting quietly and chatting as she works on her projects, crocheting away in any open space she can find.
Meet Mia Kovachev
Mia Kovachev is a 21-year-old student at the University of Texas at Arlington pursuing a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in French. She works for the UTA Sports Information Department as an intern. She is an Arlington, Texas native and has lived there since birth.
Mia hopes to expand her horizons after college and attend a master’s degree program outside of Texas. Some of her hobbies include traveling, watching movies and spending time with her dog, Sushi.
About AMA+UTA CreateCollab
Since the Fall 2022 semester, the Arlington Museum of Art has partnered with The University of Texas at Arlington and a senior-level digital storytelling class to explore a wide variety of contemporary themes inspired by the museum’s mission, values, and exhibitions.
Class projects include photo essays, one-minute documentaries, and brief audio stories.
Associate Professor of Communication Erika Pribanic-Smith teaches the class. She values opportunities to bring real-world experiences to her students.
“My goal is to give my students real-world experience in all of my classes, creating real stories using real sources,” said Dr. Pribanic-Smith. “Creating stories that will be published for the public to see, not just submitted for a grade, gives students extra incentive to put forth their best effort. Furthermore, working with professionals gives the students another layer of feedback to re-enforce what they’re learning in the classroom. I prefer to work with organizations like the Arlington Museum of Art who will benefit in some way from the students’ content so that we are providing a service to the community.”
