Although the new class is barely a semester old, the Art and Community class in the art department has already made a positive impact on the community.
"The idea is that students would use their artistic talents to serve the community in some way," said art professor Allyson Comstock.
For the first aspect of the class project, students taught art weekly to clients at the Ease Adult Day Care at the Boykin Community Center.
The second aspect of the class was working with the Community Market of East Alabama, a food bank in Opelika.
"The students went out and met with the director there, and she indicated that she would love to have art for the walls, especially in the kids' section to cheer it up," Comstock said.
Students then brainstormed ways to combine these two aspects of the class.
Ultimately, the class decided to incorporate the small art projects of the day care clients, like stencils and stamps, into making larger student-made works of art.
The completed art pieces, which are all depictions of fruits and vegetables, will be hung along the blank wall above the produce section in the community market.
Arden McCroskey, junior in art, formed the fundraising project to ask local churches and religious organizations to buy a work of art.
The money collected from each purchase will then be split between the adult day care and the food bank, and a plaque for the sponsor organization will be hung below the picture.
Amanda Claire Rives, junior in graphic design, said she used her graphic design skills to make flyers for the art exhibit and fundraising.
According to Comstock, the Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship has already purchased a work of art: junior in art Lydia Wood's piece, "Mamie's Eggplant," for $400.
She said St. Michael's, along with several other churches, have also agreed to sponsor works.
The adult day care clients had a chance to see the finished artwork Tuesday.
Hillary Floyd, class member and senior in art, said her favorite aspects of the class are brainstorming and working with classmates, seeing the project come together and working with the clients at the adult day care.
"We all formed connections with people there," Floyd said. "I know some of us plan on going back even after the semester is over with because they do need help."
Students in the class will spend the remainder of the semester fundraising, installing the artwork at the community market and completing additional smaller projects for the two organizations.
"When you're in an art major or design major and you're putting yourself into the art that you're making, it's usually not for much of a purpose other than to turn in for a grade," Rives said.
"It was nice to do something that can be used--a lot of people don't realize how much art can impact organizations and people."
The class hosted an art exhibit March 28 to showcase its work from the semester in an event titled "Collaborations Across Generations."
The artwork from the exhibit consisted of eight student works, the final products of the class's semester-long outreach and fundraising project.
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