The importance of creative spaces: Geneseo’s Art Club
The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked our world in so many ways, and while it has tested our resolve, it has also taught us so much about the things we need in our college and life experience. One of these things is true, in-person human interaction, sharing stories and skills and working together in the same room to meet new people, create beautiful things, and strengthen connections with old friends and ourselves.
Geneseo had an art club before the pandemic, but it has shifted and changed since, as the environment it provides is more crucial than ever before. Sophomore business administration Summer Dracup went to a few meetings before the campus shut down in 2020 and said she could “immediately see how much potential the club had and the importance of having an artistic outlet available for students.” Now, she is the president of the art club, and takes great joy in “providing a safe space for the creatives of Geneseo to be able to express themselves. We have so much talent here on campus and I love seeing that come to life through our club.”
Every Thursday, at 7 p.m., students of all years, abilities, and passions gather in Brodie 217 to create together. Some come in groups or pairs, many come alone, and all leave at 8 p.m. with something new that they have created themselves. Sophomore business administration major Vice President Julia D’Amato stated it perfectly, saying: “I know when I attend a meeting that it will end up making my night better.”
Junior neuroscience major and art club treasurer Lindsey Toole said that through her role she has gotten to see “how much time and effort goes into club funding and even on-campus event planning.” She’s right—Geneseo’s art club leaves you with a finished product, but the emphasis is truly on creating. Every other week, the e-board comes up with a new project or medium to work with and provides all necessary materials to anyone who shows up. On the off weeks, art club brings out all the materials (paints, markers, colored paper, collage materials, etc.) they have stocked up over time, and those Thursday nights, students can use the space and any materials they want to create any work or project they are inspired by, or they can work on something they brought from home.
Junior geology major Kate Burns, who runs the art club Instagram (@geneseoartclub) joined the e-board because she wanted, “to see the club grow and create a community for artists to pursue their passions,” which is exactly what has happened. All different types of students from all majors, organizations and hometowns come together on Thursdays for their shared passion of creating. Truly, the one thing that makes an artist is the desire to create, and the atmosphere in art club is always joyful and excited, filled with music, conversations, and sometimes even free food.
Junior geology and sustainability studies double major Mai Nguyen-Jeanneret is also a member of art club’s e-board, and she expressed that she “used to do a lot of art before college and art club provided the artistic space to continue that activity. Through and through we have a solid space to do art and it’s great to see people find us and join us in creating.”
Whether you have a history of creating art or you’re just curious about what it might be like to create a work of art for the first time, you are welcome at Geneseo’s art club. So, please, take this as a hearty invitation to join us in Brodie 217 at 7 p.m. this Thursday, next Thursday, or any Thursday hereafter to create art, conversation, and friendships that could make a lasting difference in your Geneseo experience. As Julia said, “Art Club has been one of the greatest things I could’ve joined here at Geneseo. You won’t know until you try.”