A new club offers students a space to express their creativity and share their artistic abilities.

Olivia Jackson, an education major, founded the Art Club in February. The current club president envisions the group as a platform for students to display their work.  

“My main goal is for students to exhibit their art on campus for everyone to see and experience,” she said. 

 Dr. Lalaine Little, advisor and Director of the Pauly Friedman Art Gallery, said activities cater to a wide range of artistic interests, from traditional media like clay to more modern forms such as digital art. 

Little and Jackson emphasize that the club is open to students of all majors who want to collaborate with other artists. 

Even if someone is new to art there is always a place for them to start, according to Little. 

“If you don’t feel confident about art there is someone there to teach you what to do. And then we can offer a variety of different media, such as clay or someone who likes tech style art. There are a lot of opportunities,” said Little. 

Little is passionate about introducing new techniques and providing students with access to resources they may not otherwise have. 

“We can offer a variety of different media, and there are many opportunities for students to experiment,” she added. 

 Little emphasizes that the club is about more than just creating art; it’s about community and networking. 

“It’s a great opportunity for students to connect with others on campus. Networking is important, and the Art Club will help students meet like-minded peers,” she said. 

Jackson’s big goal for the club is to create a place for students to express themselves. 

“I want to be able to gain students interests and the way they want to express themselves into our community and have students be able to share that part of themselves” Jackson said. 

The club also provides a community for students in heavy, demanding majors who want to be able to create with art rather than solely focus on work. 

“I know we have a lot of very intense programs where they don’t give you time to take a class or time to really do anything but your studies, so if an art club were to be formed on campus, I think you could give them micro time of art,” Little believes.  

Drawing from her experience as a student advisor for visual arts at a university in Texas, Little hopes to bring new opportunities to as many students as possible. 

“The school in Texas was big, but it didn’t have an art department. If you wanted to do art, you had to take an architecture class. Students would create their own shows in their free time,” she said. 

Beyond serving as the club’s advisor, Little is also an artist. “I’ve only just started making art in the last five years, but I’ve taught it for much longer,” she said. 

Her love for print art has inspired her to create for others and deepened her passion for sharing art.  

“I did this thing, the Faculty Fan Art Project, where I would ask faculty what they were working on and then make a stamp of it. Printing is super easy but looks so cool.” 

The Art Club strives to provide students with opportunities to engage with the art community both on and off campus.  

Little hopes to encourage students to host their own art shows, curate exhibits, and display their work to the broader university community. 

“I’d love to help students organize their own art shows,” she said. “It would give them the chance to showcase their work and be part of the artistic community on campus. I also want to hear what appeals to students today, so we can plan workshops that align with their interests.” 

Freshman mass communication student Mykenna Decker believes student-run art shows would enrich the Misericordia community. 

“Having a student-run gallery would be so fun. I can imagine everyone setting up their own show—it would be amazing,” Decker said. 

Jackson also plans to organize themed activities for all students on campus. 

“I want us to have different themed activities, whether it’s something fun or something more meaningful that people can relate to,” she said. 

 Freshman mass communication student Isaac Griffin sees the Art Club as a great way for students to get involved. 

“The club gives people a space to explore different directions in art and express themselves. It’s an inclusive spot for everyone,” he said.  

The club also plans to arrange trips to various art museums to give students opportunities to learn and engage with art. Griffin believes such trips would be valuable for students even outside of the art community. 

“Museums are great places to learn about architecture and history, which can benefit students in many ways,” he said. 

Freshman speech-language pathology student Olivia Robaczewski was stunned that Misericordia did not already have an Art Club. 

“I was surprised we didn’t have one before. I feel like you don’t have to be good at art to join—it’s about expressing yourself,” she said. 

Many students, including Robaczewski, hope to see activities like canvas-swapping and museum trips as a way to make friends and explore new artistic avenues. 

The club helps newcomers explore their creativity and express it in a new form—with the benefit of guidance. 

“[There are] two hours every couple of weeks where all the supplies are provided for free and there is instruction there so if you don’t feel confident about art there is someone there to teach you what to do,” said Little.  

Little is hoping that the club will also draw attention to the art studio. 

“I’d like to get more input on what shows and workshops we can offer. As far as student engagement, I would love to see more traffic in the art gallery,” Little said.