Tia MitchellArt is everywhere. It’s music, photography, films, fashion or even a simple painting. And there’s plenty of art to see at the Alpha Rho Tau art sale, which runs through Oct. 2 in the student art gallery located in the Fine Arts Building.
Alpha Rho Tau, a club for art students and non-art majors, has about 20 members with art professor Chad Hughes as their faculty adviser.
The art sale features work from students including Matthew White, Devin Davis, Jasmyn Etheridge, Frank Mansaray and Jarome Chesson. The students say they want to share their creativity not just with the campus but with everyone and anyone within shouting distance. Prices range from as low as $10 to upwards of several hundred dollars.
Although buying a piece of artwork like a drawing or painting might not seem like the best investment for a college student, this art show just might change your mind.
Each artist uses their abilities differently, creating styles that fit no one else but themselves.
For instance, Davis’s work dabbles in a variety of styles. It ranges from action-packed comic cartoons to stunning portraits of celebrities and floral girls, taking inspiration from what he sees in his daily life. White’s work and style is influenced by his own dreams and his love for pop culture. He records his dreams and tries to illustrate these dreams while keeping his work vibrant.
Etheridge’s style on the other hand is full of life. She creates a bizarre and surreal atmosphere with her fun but wild characters in her artwork. Every print is an adventure for the eyes. Mansaray’s approach is fairly traditional but abstract. His portraits are eye-popping with African themes similar to Chesson’s work, whose art keeps to an Afro-centric theme, but, in a delightful twist, adds galactic elements.
The students say the proceeds pooled together and then used to buy art supplies.
“As art students, we’re financially struggling most of the time. Art supplies can be very pricey especially since we don’t always get our art supplies from the art building. A lot of the time we have to provide it for ourselves,” said junior Ayana Jarvis, Alpha Rho Tau president. “It was just an opportunity for each art student and non-art majors to sell their artwork.”
Although members of Alpha Rho Tau participate in a number of events in the Triangle, such as the CenterFest and College Night, they feel like they need to raise awareness about NCCU’s student artists. NCCU art studies junior Kiara Sanders says she hopes the art sale will do just that.
“I feel like a lot of people aren’t aware about NCCU’s art program. A lot of people don’t know about it or don’t know what goes on in the art program because we’re so small,” said Sanders. “The art sale can give a window into the kind of work we’re doing and the talent that’s here at this school … there’s so much of it.”
Darvlyn Mclean agrees. “The art and music buildings are attached but if you look around, only one of them can actually be heard,” said the visual communication junior. “Ours can be seen, but people don’t actually look up.”
