Club gives all students chance to be in gallery

By Sabreena Saleem

Ars Nova members have collaborated with students of all majors to display their artwork Thursday at Gallery 215, 215 Fourth St.

Ars Nova, a student-run art club, is hosting its first student-led gallery event of the year starting 6 p.m. The Ars Nova Student Art Show is the first event the club is hosting since it was revived this semester.

The club accepted artwork submissions from students of all majors between Sept. 25 and last Thursday. The goal of the event is to give all students a change to have their artwork featured in a gallery.

“We’re giving kids that have never really been in an art gallery before a chance to be in an art gallery, and that looks really nice on student resumes,” said Matthew Mitchell, sophomore illustration major and Ars Nova vice president. “It’s just good to get your foot in the door and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Leyla Puskar, sophomore arts major and Ars Nova vice president, said featuring work from all majors in gallery events is uncommon.

“It’s not that common and that’s why we kind of wanted to have an opportunity for everyone to get involved and know what it’s like to have some art displayed and know what it feels like to be an artist,” Puskar said.

Students were able to submit artwork of all mediums to the club. Puskar said the club received a variety of submissions, including portraits, sculptures and paintings.

“We do have a significant number of artwork we’re putting in, but mostly drawings and paintings will be there,” Mitchell said. “There will be a few sculpture pieces and photography pieces.”

The Ars Nova Student Art Show is the first event the club has hosted in more than a year. Mitchell and Ars Nova President Killian Dorner helped bring back the club this semester.

“Ars Nova was around a couple years ago, but it kind of faded away because the president of it graduated and didn’t appoint anyone else,” Mitchell said. “It kind of disappeared for a year, but now Killian and I brought it back. So, this is the first … time Killian and I are putting on a show.”

Dorner said the Ars Nova Student Art Show gives students outside-the-classroom experience to further themselves as artists.

“It gives them experience that they wouldn’t necessarily find elsewhere,” Dorner said.