The Baker University Art Club is heading in a new direction.
This year, newly elected officials have decided to re-invent the way the art club meetings run.
Juniors Hannah Welliever, president, and Lisa Smith, vice president, are the main officials behind the new change.
Instead of simply being arts and crafts activities, open discussion about different artwork has come into play.
“It’s fun, and you can also learn about art,” Welliever said.
The change is from a desire by the new officers to gear the club toward more art, art history or studio art majors.
One goal the club members hope to achieve with the change is to attract new members, especially targeting those students who are actually art majors, or at least have the desire to learn more about art.
“We are doing more art-related things like museum trips, art critiques and some art collaborations,” Smith said.
The art club still plans on hosting both kinds of meetings, alternating between the more popular arts and crafts activities and discussion or critiques of artwork.
Faculty Adviser Brett Knappe is pleased with the new direction the art club is headed in, as well as the control shown by the new officers and members.
Knappe said making all the changes to the club stemmed from member’s ideas.
“For the last two years, I think that the students were wanting me to be more in charge of the art club, and this should be the students’ art club,” Knappe said. “I like that the new officers are really trying to take over and really adopt a club that really meets their needs.”
Ranging from around seven to 15 members at each meeting, the art club is hoping to attract new members from every background, and the current members believe with this new plan, they will be able to do so.
Smith said one of the advantages members, especially those majoring in some sort of art, enjoy would simply be connections made with Knappe.
Eventually, the officers hope members of the club will even start bringing in artwork of their own for group discussion and critiquing.
However, as of now the art club is pleased with the new direction it is headed in this year.
“(We will) play it by ear … see how things go,” Knappe said.