As the world around us changes, so does the art we encounter. Mt. A’s Fine Arts Society Co-Presidents Dawn Purchase and Sam Spencer were gracious enough to give some insight on art and the world as a whole, as well as the Fine Arts Society’s impact on the University and on first-year students specifically.
Purchase is a third-year Bachelor of Arts student, and Sam Spencer is a fourth-year student in his third year of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program. Purchase and Spencer both joined the society last year and ended up getting highly involved. “We pretty quickly were put into the position of social chairs, which meant we ran all the social media, and we put up posters,” Spencer said. “We created the Instagram account for the society,” Purchase added, sharing how the organization lost some traction during the COVID-19 pandemic and required engaged collaboration to get that momentum back.
Amid changing social and political contexts, the importance of making and supporting art is a complex subject. Explaining the purpose of making art, Purchase stated: “It is part of the world, and even today, one of our classmates was saying that art is able to create culture. […] Art is culture in a lot of ways. But it is also really for yourself. So, when you ask the majority of our students why they make art or why they come to art school? It is about personal growth.” Spencer had a similar perspective: “I think art is kind of a time capsule. There are certain ways of creating that are more popular in certain eras and things like that. […] Especially with social media nowadays, people often forget the power of an image. I think about protest photography and things like that, those infographics that get shared around or even false AI images that people buy into. When we see images we take [them] at face value.” Both Purchase and Spencer’s points highlight how important it is to support original artists and how crucial it is to be creating art.
At the end of the day, why should more students join the Fine Arts Society? Events such as the biannual Show and Sale, for example, are “a really safe environment to learn a skill like vending,” shared Spencer on the benefits of the society. . In addition to practical skills: “My biggest thing is, you are nothing as an artist without the connections of community,” shared Spencer. “It is such a social-based thing. And I think a lot of the skills you need to exist as a professional artist in the real world are skills that you can build in school, but it is a little hard without stepping outside your comfort zone,” he continued. To add to Spencer’s point, Purchase shared a sad reality some arts students face: “It can be isolating, the studios are very big, and there are a lot of people when you start out but […] there is not enough time or social groups like some of the other programs. Especially if you do not live in residence.”
To support the Fine Arts Society and the community they foster, go to their events, and view their amazing art.. The society’s events this year have already expanded their network. “We are representing not only the people who are in our society and the people who had their artwork on the table, but we are also representing the Fine Arts program,” shared Purchase. In terms of upcoming events, you can visit the Fine Arts Society’s Show and Sale on March 14 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and March 15 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Purdy Crawford Center for the Arts. At the event you can speak to artists, meet the co-presidents, and purchase art created by Mt. A students.
