Graphic design students host a fundraiser selling their artwork

During her first try with Illustrator, Angela Jay, a graphic design student, doodled some butterflies for fun. Unexpectedly, she found the results nice. Pleased with her artwork, they became her favourite pieces and she submitted them to become stickers for the sale.

On Feb. 9, graphic design students hosted an art sale where Jay’s butterflies and various other pieces were bought. The event raised $270 for their grad show, an event to celebrate their hard work throughout their three-year program.

“Each student is going to be bringing out all their favourite pieces and all the pieces they think are strong,” said Ibrahim Mohamed, a member of the fundraising team. “They even show their hobby stuff.”

The students positioned their tables at the intersection of the N, J and C-buildings on the Woodroffe campus.

The grad show will take place at Bayview Yards on April 11. The unused funds will go to future activities for students in the graphic design program, according to Mohamed.

“We’re raising money to help our grad show coming in April,” said Mohamed. “So that includes the venue location, we have to book that. Catering, tablecloths, we’re in search for tablecloths. We also have to print a bunch of banners.”

The show will be open to the public, and the goal is for students to invite family and friends. Graphic designers from the industry will be present to offer the graduates job opportunities.

To raise funds, the students sold stickers, posters, handmade headwear, cards and more. The students accepted cash and used an Apple Square, a square that accepts card payments through an application.

The students who organized the sale were members of the graphic design program’s fundraising team or had their artwork on display, eager to see it sold.

“As the fundraising team leader, I make sure that everyone brought their art in time,” said Enissa Ciper. “It taught me how to be in a leader position and how to make sure that everyone is organized.”

Other students from the graphic design program appreciate the collective effort to raise enough funds.

“It’s really nice to see everyone come together on a day that we don’t have class. It’s really reassuring that we are in this together, as a group,” said Jay, the chair of the graduating cohort.

“On a personal level, it’s fun to get my own stickers. It’s the first time I’ve had any of my artwork as a sticker,” she added.

Michel Pennington, a third-year graphic design student, used a Silhouette cutting machine to make the stickers. “So, we all sent him a bunch of files and he cut and laminated them for us all, so it was really a team effort to come together and do this,” said Jay.

The students have been organizing bake sales and other events this semester to raise funds.

“The money we make, the recognition we get, the customers we get, it’s all through the community,” said Ciper. “It’s always positive.”