Art Club tries to make bigger impression

Art+Club+tries+to+make+bigger+impression

Story by Katherine Comer, BU Student Media

One of the smaller, easily overlooked details in the Bennett Art Building is written over the chalkboard mounted along the north wall. It reads, “A great student learns from his/her mistakes – a wise student learns from the mistakes made by others.”

While that may be a wonderful sentiment, some students may argue that mistakes are never made in the Bennett Art Building. Art Club President Clare Courtney says that students don’t need any artistic skill to join the club.

“We’re just trying to encourage people to be artistic on campus,” Courtney said while painting red irises in the style of Georgia O’Keefe.

On Tuesday night, the Art Club used its biweekly meeting to create works that will be sold at the upcoming Maple Leaf Festival. The festival will be held Oct. 16-18 throughout Baldwin City. Those at the meeting painted canvases that will be sold for $7 each.

For freshman Macy Mock, canvas painting was her first experience with the Baker Art Club.

“I really like doing this type of stuff, but I’m not very good at it,” Mock said, carefully sketching an outline for her canvas. Mock’s piece features flowers and an inspirational quote.

Students were encouraged to paint their canvases in whatever style they desired, using paint and brushes provided by the Art Club.

Courtney is in her fourth semester as president of the Art Club. She came into the organization after switching her major from music education to literature and art history. Her adviser, Associate Professor of Art History Brett Knappe, encouraged Courtney to take an art history class.

“After I dropped the music education major, I didn’t know what to do with my life,” Courtney said. “There’s so many cool things in art I would have missed out on if I hadn’t been an art history major.”

She attributes her interest in the Art Club to Knappe.

“I wasn’t involved in anything, and he was like, ‘you need to work on your people skills,'” she said.

Courtney entered the Art Club as vice president. However, she wasn’t satisfied with what was being done.

“We were hardly doing anything,” she said.

So far this year, Courtney has organized three meetings and a trip to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Plaza Art Fair. She said five people attended the Nelson-Atkins trip last Saturday.

“[It’s been] a lot of trial and error for us,” Courtney said. “Mostly error.”

Courtney said it is difficult for the Art Club to know what activities will interest students. This year’s events have included folk art on Sept. 1, mug making on Sept. 15 and Tuesday’s canvas painting. Courtney encourages students to attend meetings and contribute their suggestions for the club. Meetings are held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every other Tuesday night in the Bennett Art Building.