Algonquin College’s art programs raise funds for their end-of-program showcase

Students from the drawing foundations and illustration and concept art programs put their work on sale in A-building and J-building, respectively, on Feb. 13 to fund their art showcase.

Sabella Chomseng, a first-year illustration and concept art student, says the fundraisers were held all day and closed at 5 p.m.

Chomseng says as a result of the proposed program cuts by the college, her program has to make up for the possibility of losing their funding from the college.

“It helps us save up money for our end of the program arts showcase that each graduating group does in April,” Chomseng says.

Besides money, the fundraisers give the programs something else entirely: exposure.

“I don’t know much about this, to be honest. I just wanted to try it out,” says Elizabeth Adeleke, a second-year dental hygiene student. “I was coming out of my class and I saw the setup. Yesterday there was a bake sale for Valentine’s Day and I was wondering what was going on today, so I came and there was stuff on sale, caricature drawing, stuff like that.”

Adeleke was one of many happy customers buying from the students. In her case, she sat down at the illustration and concept art fundraiser table in the J-building to have a caricature drawn of her by Kim Mullin, a first-year illustration and concept art student.

“I really like taking pictures but not of myself,” Adeleke says. “I just said, ‘okay, if I can sit and have someone else draw me, that’d be perfect.’”

The caricature cost $10 and took 10 minutes to complete, but it was everything Adeleke could have hoped for.

“What I got was absolutely worth it,” she says. “I think it’s almost weird to see myself like this — I never get to because when you look in the mirror you see what you want to see, not how someone else sees me.

“It’s really amazing that this is how they see me. They were looking at me constantly and this is what they saw, isn’t that nice,” Adeleke adds.

Before going to the fundraiser, Adeleke says she had no idea the illustration and concept art program existed. She hopes to see more programs hold events like this to show off more of the work done by students.

All work at both shops is made by students, for students.

Patrick L’Heureux, a Level 2 drawing foundations student, says the students in the programs create their pieces on their own — traditionally or digitally — and use the Algonquin College Print Shop to create the copies to be sold.

“All the students that were available made artwork,” Chomseng says. “There are prints, stickers, and all sorts of fun things — all made by students.”

Chomseng says she contributed some work of her own including small stickers and medium sized prints.

Though the artists don’t receive any money from the sales, Chomseng feels they gain something just as valuable.

“Although it is a bit tedious to set up, I do think it’s a good opportunity to gather people and give them a bit of experience selling their work,” Chomseng says. “It gets them ready for whatever they may do in the future – think like selling artwork at conventions and stuff.”

Chomseng would be the first to tell you that these events aren’t just pop-up shops, though.

“The planning for this took about a month for my fellow class representative and I to do,” Chomseng says. “Most of it was planning, processing and making sure we’re authorized to do everything. Then just gathering everyone — whoever can be available to help out in-person or help out by making artwork.

“The funds we get from these just goes mainly to the showcase. Most of the funds for that go to making it so we can book a room, making sure everyone gets a table to display their artwork — like a mini portfolio — and then being able to make the grad book,” Chomseng says.

Chomseng says the grad book is a book including every graduate of the art programs, each getting a few pages to display the work they’ve done over their time in the program.

While Chomseng feels the highlight of the fundraiser is the experience each of the artists gets, L’Heureux finds the joy of it all to be almost addicting.

“I really do enjoy our little fundraisers. It kind of brings everyone together,” L’Heureaux says. “We want to show support for all of our young artists, our beginning artists and just try to embrace how wonderful the community is. Art brings a lot of joy, brings a lot of happiness with a lot of people and lets people show the creativity within them.

When we’re selling prints or pieces of art, we’re giving others some stuff to take home while they show us support in return,” L’Heureux says.

“My absolute favourite part is just seeing everyone involved smiling and happy. When I hand customers their stickers or prints and they have that big smile on their face, I just think that I’m doing something really awesome.”