On Tuesday, a student walking past Neeb Hall around 3:45 p.m. was overheard talking on the phone, saying, “There are so many happy people out today” before getting lost in a crowd.
He spoke the truth. The ASU art festival, featuring student art organizations on campus, was jocund and lively. From 3 p.m. to 6.p.m., students were encouraged to walk around and visit display tables hosted by the various campus groups.
The forefront attraction was a Slug-Bug with a chalkboard exterior; passersby could draw on the car with blue, yellow, orange or pink chalk. The day’s collaborated efforts resulted in blue dragons, pink kokopellis and multicolored swirls.
Many student organizations set up shop behind tables covered by pink tablecloths in Neeb Hall’s northern courtyard. The theme of this art show was “I Heart ART” to honor Valentine’s Day. Red and white streamers linked the palm trees to the buildings, and a pair of speakers played catchy radio jams to either prepare couples for the upcoming sparks or to console the single people.
Just past the chalkboard car and to the right, the Student Museum Advisory Committee sat behind a long table covered in several dozen art masterpieces. The SMAC focuses on museum involvement and passion for the arts, particularly the ASU Art Museum.
Art history senior and founding member of SMAC Ainsley Cutts emphasized the value in ASU’s own museum here on campus.
“ASU’s museum is actually more accessible than the Phoenix Art Museum,” said Cutts. The museum on campus currently has displays on copper and Japanese culture and includes an interactive penny display.
The SMAC table featured an art history guessing game. On the table’s right-hand side sat a collage with famous paintings numbered from one to 25 or so. The game’s goal was to draw a number and to guess the painter who created the corresponding masterpiece. For guessing artists such as Vincent Van Gogh or Salvador Dalí correctly, the club gave away a prize bag that included heart-shaped chocolates, event information and Vincent Van Gogh’s ear.
“Be careful,” drawing and art history freshman Kayci Monar warned from across the table. “That ear is not candy, it’s actually wax.”
If anyone can give chocolates or roses away for Valentine’s Day, only a select few can give away Van Gogh’s ear in the name of romance.
But these weren’t the only giveaways at the “I Heart ART” festival.
The Photo Club had an original giveaway in Valentine’s Day spirit. Many large construction paper heart cutouts were scattered on the its table. Students could select any cutout, walk to the side and have a Polaroid picture taken while holding the heart. Some hearts had celebrity icons, such as Justin Bieber and Ke$ha. Other hearts had witty messages, like “I’d like to see you overexposed,” “Agitate me” and “I love you like Ansel loved dem mountains.”
Sculpture senior Jamie Coredelier told visitors about her most prodigious work ? a 350-pound cement head with metal hair. Meanwhile, booths such as the Clay Club and the Metal Club displayed crafts by both students and professionals. There were also stop-motion booths and T-shirt printing tables.
The “I Heart ART” event clearly served two purposes: It amped up the Valentine’s Day spirit, and it showcased the incredible art talent at ASU.
Reach the reporter at jconigli@asu.edu
