Call it a taste of business school for art students.
More than 700 handcrafted items made by students and alumni went up for sale at the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts at the end of the semester, not only offering the community unique gifts for the holiday season but also giving students an opportunity to raise money for a scholarship and a community donation.
Students in the studio arts program sold their own work, raising more than $4,000, which was split between funding a newly created student scholarship and a donation to FACES, the local food bank.
“I’m very proud of my students for pushing through adverse conditions this semester after our regular studio space was damaged by Hurricane Michael,” said Adam Paulek, associate professor of art who leads the ceramics program. “They have all risen to the occasion and found the kind of perseverance that they’ll need as they develop as artists. The art itself is top-notch, and I’m proud of them for donating much of the proceeds to scholarships and a worthy organization in town.”
The Longwood student art sale is a well-established annual event, but this is the first time the proceeds have gone toward funding the Student Collective Arts Scholarship. Nearly $1,400 of art sales went toward the fund.
“Selling artwork is part of the curriculum in the studio arts at Longwood,” said Angela Bubash, associate professor of art who leads the metalsmithing and jewelry program and helped organize the show. “All students in the design in craft program understand that selling their art is part of being a working artist, so this is a great opportunity for them. But it doesn’t end there. This is an important part of our outreach into the community, showing off the skills of our students to a wider audience.”
As part of that community outreach, students donated nearly $500 to FACES, a local food bank.
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