LCC Art Club wraps up great first year

By Sophia Potter
Freelance Reporter

According to the LCC Art Club’s constitution, the club is “dedicated to creating an environment where creativity thrives, diverse perspectives are celebrated, and artistic growth is encouraged.”

That was certainly the case this past weekend, when new Art Club President Ashley Turcotte led an unofficial field trip to the East Lansing Art Festival.

“The idea of making money off art is this sort of vague, sounds unreal thing, but then there’s people doing it, and they’re just down the street from you,” Turcotte said about the importance of holding events outside of LCC’s campus. “A lot of it is technical, but a lot of it is just people being creative. They had an idea, and they did it.”

Susan Hardie, foundation art and design professor at LCC, approached students about starting an Art Club in the fall of 2023. One of the main driving forces was to help support a sense of community that had been disrupted by COVID-19 and fostering a sense of collegiality.

“Our Art Club students are encouraged to support one another throughout their academic and creative journeys at Lansing Community College and beyond,” she said.

Hardie, art department faculty Laurie Bishop and Jacob Pierzchala, and a team of dedicated students led by original club president Tori Ericks, have taken these principals and created a thriving community around them.

“Seeing connections form between students was the best thing,” recalled Tori on their time as president. “I was worried people might stick to themselves, but turns out artists love interacting with other artists!”

From left, LCC Art Club Vice President Sophia Potter, Secretary Betty Brady and President Ashley Turcotte introduce themselves as the officers for the 2024-25 school year.  Photo by Tori Ericks

In just a year, the Art Club has grown to have a discord of over 100 students, hosted speakers and sold buttons at the Spring RSO Fair - and they’re just getting started.

“This year seemed to focus on forming connections, while figuring out what things we hoped to accomplish,” Ericks said.

Looking toward the future, the Art Club members hope to maintain the momentum they have built this past year and continue to make a name for the club. Goals also include widening the LCC Art Department’s integration within the community.

According to Turcotte, the new Art Club officers are already busy this summer coming up with ways to help “elevate” the club to new professional heights, starting with the unofficial field trip to the Art Fair. She also created a Google Form toward the end of spring semester to get feedback from new and current members.

These lofty goals are shared between students and staff. As Adviser Hardie said: “As the Art Club expands, the Art and Design faculty anticipates further opportunities for collaborative and interdisciplinary learning experiences.

“Potential goals include establishing service-related art projects, engaging in community mural projects, organizing an annual drawing marathon, or establishing a Lansing Community College Art Fair.”

To learn more about the LCC Art Club, contact Susan Hardie at hardis@star.lcc.edu.