Artist Society Offers Time, Space for Creativity

It’s Friday night, and as the sunlight dwindles and excitement for the weekend mounts, Columbia affiliates amble into a classroom in Dodge Hall and select art supplies from a table. As a model poses, the artists dash off a few gesture drawings. After a short break with chatter and cookies, the models start to hold the poses for longer, and the room becomes silent as the artists focus on their work.

Drawing sessions are just one of the offerings of Artist Society, founded by Sonia Tycko, CC ’09, in January 2006. The club, which supports art on campus, also co-hosted the Salon exhibit in Postcrypt Gallery last Friday.

Artist Society gives members of the Columbia community—both students and faculty—a commitment-free opportunity to try out drawing or hone their skills for free. “Prior to the creation of the club, students interested in focused studio time ... had no real recourse,” Webmaster Lorraine White, CC ’10 said. Artist Society “provides Columbians with access to live models, free supplies, and peer critique in a casual environment that lends itself to experimentation.”

The club, Tycko said, was inspired by her frustration at her inability to fit art classes into her busy schedule. Realizing she was not alone, she decided to round up a few friends and hire a model for their weekly gatherings.

Less than two years later, the club has official recognition from the Activities Board at Columbia, and boasts a listserv of 270 people. This semester, it received money from the CUArts Gatsby Charitable Foundation grant, which enabled it to provide models, snacks, and supplies to attendees free of charge. The club organizes a variety of events, from studio sessions to art fairs to exhibits, though the Friday night meetings remain the “bread and butter” of the club, according to White.

“Picking up drawing as an adult can be intimidating and expensive ... especially for beginners,” Tycko said. Heron Haas, vice president of Artist Society and CC ’09, said many non-arts majors have difficulty finding a “weekly respite from the pace of life at Columbia.” Haas praised Artist Society’s establishment of “a place just to sit and draw amidst all the hustle and bustle here.”

“Many of our members ... tell me that Artist Society is an important part of their lives because it’s the only time they have set aside for personal expression,” White said.
The club meets every Friday at 6 p.m. Visit www.columbia.edu/cu/artistsociety for more information.

kristina.budelis@columbiaspectator.com