In order to raise money for current art students and funding for future student scholarships, part of Biola Art Alumni Reunion Day included a student art sale, which raised $600 on April 23.
STUDENT ART GALORE
The art sale was held in the Rood courtyard and the area packed with student artists galore, either hoping to sell, buy or just appreciate the students’ work. Instead of the normal terms of the sale from previous years where students earn 100 percent of the profit, the students profited 50 percent with the other 50 percent going to the Loren Baker scholarship beginning next academic year.
“Normally the students sell their work and of course they get all of the proceeds, so we asked … Alex Sarina, who is the head of it, that we’re having the event would the kids like to sell their work, not really thinking that they would give money toward the scholarship, but he’s like ‘Yeah let’s do that and let’s say half that of what they make go toward,’” said Rhonda Sudduth, art department administrative assistant.
participating in the art sale
Loren Baker was the chair of the art department from 2003 to 2013 before he passed away, and in his will he left $10,000 to be an endowed scholarship for junior and senior art majors based on merit. However, before the money can be used as an endowment scholarship the amount needs to reach $25,000 based on Biola’s scholarship requirements.
Hoping to raise money for the scholarship and earn money of their own, several students participated in the art sale. Any students currently enrolled in art classes were offered to sell their work at the event. Brianna Lafrance, junior studio arts major with a design emphasis, decided to sell a poster and postcard.
“Half of the proceeds go for the Loren Baker art scholarship which is awesome and I had him for 2D Design so that’s part of the reason,” Lafrance said. “It’s fun to come out here and get to see other people’s work.”
professionals in a sheltered setting
While Lafrance enjoyed selling her artwork, Cherish Travnick, junior studio arts major and psychology minor, decided to not sell her artwork and volunteer instead.
“I decided not to, number one reason is because a lot of my art pieces I’m attached to, it would take me some time and thought to depart,” Travnick said. “And then second reason is probably just not sure how much I’d like to sell them for and me deciding what I think the value of them is.”
Although some students opted out of selling their artwork, those who did got to be professionals in a sheltered setting.
“For the sale it’s cool to see people take ownership of being a professional artist and selling your work, we typically see everyone in the critique context…but at the student sale you get to see people just kind of enjoying the fact that someone actually wants to own their picture or their ceramic bowl,” said Kurt Simonson, associate professor of photography.
