The University offers an abundance of activities for students — both curricular and extracurricular — who are passionate about the arts. However, several of the existing opportunities focus on a specific type of artistic craft, leaving some students feeling siloed in their particular practices. The recently reformed Arts Students Society seeks to address this problem by establishing a community space for student visual artists across the University to learn new skills and collaborate with each other.
Arts Students Society was first established on Grounds several years ago, but went inactive in the years following the pandemic. Its dormancy came to an end this year, when Domenick Fini, president of the society and fourth-year College student, revived it.
As a Studio Art major, Fini said he was motivated to bring back the Arts Students Society because of the lack of connection he saw across students and majors within the University’s Studio Art department in Ruffin Hall. Fini said that this aforementioned separation among Studio Art students in particular is what motivated him to cultivate a supportive community for all creatives on Grounds — especially for those new to the University.
“I think that an inherent part about art is collaboration and learning from mentors … That’s why I wanted to start the Arts Students Society, because a lack of community means a lack of learning.” Fini said. “I truly wanted to make sure that we are able to teach first years.”
After speaking with several of his professors about how to gain traction for the club again, Fini said the club’s first meeting was held in February. As of Sept. 10, the group is an official Contracted Independent Organization, which means the club now has access to University facilities and resources, as well as funding from Student Council.
To actualize the group’s mission of increased collaboration between students across art forms, the Arts Students Society holds weekly Sunday meetings, where students come together to share recent works and talk about future creations.
Fini said that, so far, Arts Students Society has attracted a wide variety of students whose work falls within the visual arts. Fini, who focuses mainly on photography, specifically highlighted the diversity of interests among the club’s executive board — such as painting, sculpting, cinematography and digital arts — which is a testament to the club’s commitment to building a multidisciplinary creative community.
Although the Arts Students Society was founded in the context of the Studio Art department, Fini said that club is open to those of all artistic concentrations.
“This is a club for people to find joy in the process [of making art] and not feel intimidated by the cost and the exclusion and aspects that artists are often stereotyped by.” Fini said. “Art is not only fun — it should be easy to learn.”
Additionally, Fini said the CIO hosts workshops where students can work on new skills and experiment with different artistic mediums. Jesper Braley, a fourth-year studio art and engineering double major, runs the Arts Students Society’s social media. He highlighted the club’s resourcefulness in facilitating new experiences for its members and the broader University community.
“There isn’t a lot of figure drawing at U.Va.,” Braley said. “I’m primarily a character artist, so drawing people is what I do,” he explained.
Braley proposed a figure drawing — the sketching of the human form in different postures — workshop, and the club hosted it.
“Since we don’t yet have funding to hire models to come in, [we] each pose for five minutes and then everyone else draws that person. We’ve done that a few times now, and it’s been really fun,” Braley said.
According to Fini, these workshops not only give students the opportunity to develop their artistic talents with others, but they also equip them with new skills that can be applied outside of the club.
Third-year College student Brasley Zanaty, who joined Arts Students Society this semester, agreed and specified that students can apply the club’s workshops to their other University involvements.
Zanaty said that one Photoshop workshop that the society recently held taught her skills that would have been useful in her former position as publicity chair for the Virginia Women’s Chorus, a student-run treble choir, wherein she combined singing with graphic design.
“I think [the workshops are] a really good thing to have … If I wanted to learn that skill so I could better support my club, that would have been a great event to attend,” Zanaty said.
Looking ahead, Fini said he plans for the club to hold a gallery in Ruffin Hall in November. Fini said that students will make all decisions on the structure of the gallery, from the types of art featured to the specific pieces shown.
Students often get to showcase their art within specific, rigid contexts, he explained, and the Arts Students Society wants to create more opportunities for student leadership.
“I wanted to provide to the students [an opportunity] to decide instead of the administration,” Fini said. “For a lot of students, the only time that they get to present art on a white wall is for the thesis show or not at all.
Interested students can get involved by following the club’s Instagram account, which gives instructions on how to join the club’s GroupMe to stay in the loop about all upcoming events and meetings. Meetings are held every Sunday at noon and are open to all.
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