Are you an art student hoping to hone your skills outside of class? An aspiring artist who doesn’t have enough money or time in your schedule to take an art class? Are you just looking to let off some steam on a Friday night? Then Art after Dark is the place to be! This year Witt is hoping to host more of these events after the success it had last year.
Don’t worry about having to go in blind. These art sessions are held by Sarah Jurewicz, a sports management teacher in the health, fitness and sports department, who also has her Master of Fine Arts.
“I used to teach art before I came to Wittenberg, so this is a way for me to still dabble in that,” Jurewicz said. “The whole idea [of Art after Dark] was that it was just a space people could come and they wouldn’t have to worry about bringing anything with them, just themselves, and they could come and sit and be creative with maybe just a little direction.”
This past session, for example, was very open-ended. Jurewicz started with a quick demonstration of how to paint with acrylic paint, which can be tricky sometimes because acrylic paint is next to impossible to wash off. But mixing the paint with water makes is much easier to manage. Aside from the brief tutorial, students could paint whatever they wanted, regardless of skill level, whether it was a tree, a quote or something abstract.
Students come to Art after Dark for many reasons. “I like acrylic painting and I want to get better because I ‘m self taught painting,” Jessica Stormoen, ‘19 said.
Other students, like Katy Wetterstroem, ‘21, came to some of the events last year and were eager for more this year. “The first one we did these pour paintings and we mixed paint with glue and we poured them on the canvas, and the next one we did cloth dying,” Wetterstroem said.
“It’s a really great way to get people out doing something that they really enjoy doing that they may not have the opportunity to do as college students,” Jurewicz said. “it’s a space for people to just let their creativity flow.”
So, if you’re interested in honing your art skills without spending the money on an actual art class, then come to Art after Dark! The next one will be held later in September, so keep an eye out.
