Student artwork takes center stage

Art students had the opportunity to showcase their work in Gallery 219 during the So Fresh student art exhibition, which started Dec. 1 and runs through Dec. 8.

"Some students are terrified because you are essentially putting yourself out there," said Gallery Director Iris Bechtol. "It's also an excellent opportunity to share their work with their families, their friends and their peers."

The student showcase is held at the end of both the spring and fall semesters to show off what students have been doing in their art class.

"Every student gets one piece of artwork per [art class] they're enrolled in," Bechtol said. "If they are taking a ceramics class and drawing class, they will have both a drawing and ceramic piece displayed."

The show only runs for eight days and is always scheduled as close to the end of the semester as possible. Over the course of a semester, students will gradually improve their artistic skills, so holding the show later allows them to submit a more polished piece.

Students say they enjoy the opportunity to have their art showcased in an actual gallery showing.

"I've been in every student art show here since I began taking classes," said Colton Ocanas, who is currently taking a painting class. "To me, it's pretty normal. I enjoy it."

In addition to the exhibition, there was also a student art sale in C-135 from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. All students currently taking an art class were allowed to enter their work in the sale. The pieces for sale included both ceramics and paintings.

"The piece could have been produced at any time, but the student must be enrolled in an art class," said Mickey Bruce, an instructional specialist in ceramics.

Eighty percent of the money from the art sales went to the students who produced it, while 20 percent went to the Visual Arts Scholarship. There were also five pieces donated by instructors in the Art Department that were raffled off, with all monies going to the scholarship fund.

"It is a fund which we started up three years ago, but we will finally be able to implement it this coming spring," Bruce said.

Both the art showcase and sale are meant to benefit the students who are working diligently in their classes. There are close to 70 pieces in the show, and there were many more in the sale.

"Just today [Nov. 30] we have already sold 50 pieces," Bruce said. "This is pretty good."

By the end of the sale, the Art Department was able to sell more pieces than ever before, with $595 going to the scholarship fund.