Making, curating and selling artwork

By Monica Kreber
kreberm@mytjnow.com

On Nov. 17 senior art major Lila Shull is having an art show – one that will consist of roughly a dozen or so of Shull’s pieces of artwork from this semester. 

Shull, whose concentration is painting and printmaking, has been working on her upcoming art show ever since she applied for it through the Gettys Art Center last spring.

With her artwork due on Nov. 7, Shull said she has mixed emotions about the show.

“It’s stressful,” she said. “You’re always going to have stress.”

Nonetheless, she said she looks forward to having people come out and see her work.

“I’d just like people to come and look at it,” she said. “It’s nice to see your competition.”

All of her artwork consists of painting, printmaking and mixed media. Gallery Up at the Gettys Art Center will be doing the curating, and she will be selling her work. Pieces will be sold “ready to go” with frames and glass – all handmade.

Shull said the space she applied for is completely student-run, as it is for every semester. She said she picked Gallery Up for help because she wanted something “a little more official.”

“Basically, it just comes down to how serious you are about the business,” she said. “I’m representing myself in a serious expression.”

Shull is not the only student focusing on getting the word out about her artwork before she graduates.  Senior fine arts major Nikki Patrick, who concentrates in sculpture and art, is in the process of curating artwork, meaning she makes the decisions about what artwork can be sold at a show and how she wants it to look.

“Basically, all decisions are made by me,” Patrick said. “It’s kinda fun. It’s like going shopping.”

With this being her last senior semester, Patrick said she is trying to put up as many art shows as she can. Her first show, which was at the beginning of the semester, was a collection of undergrad work done by fine arts students. The artwork consisted of jewelry, sculpture, painting and photography.

“It was every area of the arts, but just for undergrad students,” she said.

Patrick’s second art show was a photo show that was left open to the public.

“It’s interesting leaving that option open,” she said.

Currently, Patrick is working on a graduate show.  

“I was sort of uncertain about it because they’re at a different level than I am,” she said. 

However, at the encouragement of her professors, particularly Shaun Cassidy, Patrick decided to curate the shows.

“Sometimes he (Cassidy) will give me an inspirational talk,” she said.

Last semester Patrick was recognized as one of the students taking Cassidy’s Public Arts class that made bike racks for the city of Rock Hill.  The students were given money for the materials in order to carry out the project.

“My professors are really into public art and finding ways for us to make money,” she said.

On that note, Patrick said Winthrop does a good job of supporting art majors. 

“I think Winthrop’s art program is amazing,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my teachers.”

Shull agreed that Winthrop provides a lot of support.

“Winthrop is not a huge school but the faculty is great,” she said. “They really encourage and support you.”

However, Shull added that she would encourage underclassmen to take business classes to learn the monetary side of art.

“I would tell them (underclassmen) to take some business classes,” she said. “Aware yourself, and learn to budget. That’s what I’m learning right now and it sucks.”