Art Flow held their first annual Art Fest on Oct. 18, transforming the Academic Quad into a pop-up artist market, hosting a variety of student creators and organizations. Made possible by collaborating with the Commuter Student Association, Psyched Out, the Intercultural Center, and The Tower literary magazine, the event saw an estimated attendance of around 150 individuals. Heidi Ullman, co-president of Art Flow, and others of the club dubbed the event a success, holding high hopes for the event’s continuation in the coming years.
“Art Fest in particular was such a valuable event and experience for people because, though not for all artists, this was the first time for a lot of people who were vending to be able to kind of see what an art market or selling their art might look like in the real world,” Ullman said. “We thought it was really important to have that experience for people in a safe and familiar setting – which is campus.”
During the event, Ullman noted the pleasant atmosphere of students interacting with the tabling clubs and artists on campus. Ranging from face painting, glitter tattoos, beaded jewelry, and other hand-crafted art pieces to interactive crafts to be displayed on campus, tables offered a variety of activities and products to students as they browsed, socialized, and enjoyed complimentary ice cream.
“We wanted this to be an event that was accessible to sell your art,” Ullman reflected. “For example, we didn’t take any commissions or any percentage of profits the artists made; it all went back to them. We wanted it to be an event that helps people access art, to maybe buy some local art. That’s the element of having it be in person and on campus – it's close, it's easy to get to. And [have it be] accessible to just try new things, try new materials people might not typically have or have access to.”
Further emphasizing the importance of accessibility, Ullman described that Art Flow, as a whole, aimed to “make art more present on campus, [it being] something that we can use as students in this stressful world as a coping strategy and to just to make [art] fun and accessible to people.” Through the events held, Art Flow worked toward fulfilling this goal.
(Left to Right): Pronoun bracelets by Asante Allwood ('28); Marisol Zacarias and Beyoncá Elias ('25); Nico Herring ('28) | Photos by: Fynn Grindle
As for the rest of the Fall ‘24 semester, Ullman anticipated the upcoming “Cozy Creative Night” held in association with The Tower on Nov. 20 in the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art (OUMA). Though more details were to be released in the coming weeks, Ullman expressed her excitement about further collaborating with another creative club on campus. Students could also look forward to the annual OUMA Night in the spring, one of the biggest events Art Flow hosts, showcasing and celebrating even more student artistry.
(Left to Right): Artwork by Gabriela Dumar ('27); Face painting table; Michael Yelton ('24) and Heidi Ullman ('26) | Photos by: Fynn Grindle
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