Whether you prefer making art or looking at it, there’s an art society for you at GU!
Staying creative and pursuing hobbies while studying is crucial to avoiding any looming burnout and staying healthy at university. Even if you are studying something creative, it doesn’t beat sitting down and creating something, or appreciating works for non-academic reasons. Below is a list of art societies on campus to help you relax, meet friends, and pursue your creativity.
First up, the Art and Life Drawing Society hosts life drawing sessions every Monday and Wednesday from 6-7:30 pm, where you can meet new people and try something new or just lose yourself in drawing. Their simple sign up form is available online to get involved this semester.
Next is the Art Appreciation Society, perfect if you love art but, like many of us, find actually drawing a bit frustrating, or if you are the next Da Vinci but want to appreciate his work nonetheless. They don’t just focus on paintings though, having weekly events focused on many different mediums, from photography to theatre to oil portraits.
On the topic of trying out different mediums, the Comic Creators Club has opportunities for writers, drawers, colourists, letterers, and more, with no experience required, as will all of these societies. If comics aren’t your thing though, you could try out screenwriting or filmmaking.
More generally, there is the Arts Crafts society which runs on Mondays and Tuesdays, where you can try painting, sculpting, printing, building things, and many more arts and crafts projects. This is a lower commitment option than agreeing to a long project and you can relax with friends while being creative, and maybe even walk away with a bird feeder, for free!
Stitch Society offer a “stitch n bitch” session, which sounds fantastic, as well as events such as repair sessions and beginner classes in crocheting, knitting, embroidery, and knitting. All materials are thankfully provided if you do not want to walk around with 8-inch needles in your bag for lectures.
Finally, the Photography Club runs workshops and events for both film and digital photography, helping to build a portfolio or just pursue a creative hobby. Events such as print sales and exhibitions are highlights, but meeting with other photographers offers a space away from classes to make friends and show off your work.
