Arts & Life

Holiday Art Sale begins at CSULB

Christmas lights hang between the Fine Arts 2 and Fine Arts 3 buildings, beneath them are tables with registers full of cash and amongst them are crowds of people walking through the art galleries for the annual Holiday Art Sale, hosted by a collective of art clubs on campus.

This was the scene last night at the opening reception of the 48th Holiday Art Sale at Cal State Long Beach. Students in ceramics, fibers, sculpture, woodworking and metals contributed works to fill the campus galleries.

The pieces are displayed on sale alongside faculty members’ works and creations from a few outside donors. Together, the artists use the sale to put some money in the student creator’s pockets and the coffers of the various arts club that participate.

Ceramics club president Erika Belanger says her club takes 25 percent of their club members’ profits and the student artist takes the other 75 percent.

“Faculty members that put in work, all their proceeds are donated back to the students [through] scholarship funds or sometimes faculty member will put it straight to the clubs,” Belanger said. “So technically, all of it goes back to the students because the club provides for the students.”

Belanger says her club, with 30 members, is the largest of the clubs involved, and the founders of the event  can rely on money from this sale to help with club expenses – such as its yearly trip to Italy.

“We’re pretty solid from year to year, there’s not much flex[ibility] – sometimes there’s a little more, sometimes there’s a little less. It just depends on people,” Belanger said.

Ceramics can make for a good Christmas gift, but she says the popular items seem to change through the years.

“Metals does a lot of business because they’re doing copper, silver, gold pieces so their pieces go for higher prices and it really just depends on what the people want,” Belanger said.

Some students, such as senior sculpture major Sam Medeiros, chose to donate their profits to better the department.

“I want us to have artist talks and studio visits next semester,” Medeiros said. “I think it’s going to be really great for all of our BFA’s to get to see how working artists are in their area, the way that they function and stuff, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to figure that out.”

As the sculpture club displays at the art sale for only its second year, Medeiros hopes his work and his donation will spark a sense of community in the department.

“I’m thinking if I’m working really hard right now, the new BFAs coming in will just think that this is something we’re supposed to participate in, because it is,” Medeiros said. “You got to help your department because it’s given you so much assistance, it’s given you so much care, our faculty has helped us so much.”

Medeiros made two chess sets that are on sale for $300. He said he started the boards 10 days ago and worked on them 10 hours a day, while encouraging his fellow sculptors to get involved.

“I think that when you leave school you really got to be proactive, because this is one of the harder fields to do much with,” Medeiros said. “You have to really be great. Ceramics, printmaking, metals, everyone, you got to hit the ground running when you leave. Nothing’s just going to drop in your lap.”

His chess boards have very fine detail that he made with a laser cutter, and used a 3D printer to create molds for his pieces.  

“It’s kind of showcasing a lot of the new stuff sculpture is able to do, we got some laser cutters, 3D printers, [computer controlled] machines, it’s a pretty exciting new area of digital media,” Medeiros said.

He also helped president of the woodworking club Martin Hernandez get involved. After only recently becoming an Associated Students, Inc. approved club, Crafted Wood joined the Holiday Art Sale for the first time.

“We’re trying to figure out, ‘What do we make? What do we sell?’” Hernandez said. “The bigger picture for us is trying to create a system for us to actually sell and make money, even beyond school.”

The woodworking exhibit showcased things like small jewelry, utensils and modular furniture. Hernandez said that rings and necklaces sold well, but that those items ride a line between jewelry and woodworking, a line that he and the department are always exploring.

“We’re trying to figure out, ‘How does wood even exist in an art school? Is it seen more as craft is it seen more as design? Where do we fit?’ Hernandez said. “For me, personally, it’s an adventure trying to find my own voice.”

The Holiday Art Sale is continuing through Wednesday. For your last chance this semester to witness what student artists are capable of, visit the campus art galleries from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

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