For the past four years, the Friday Arts Project has hosted an Art Party. Kirk Irwin, executive director of the organization, gives information on who the organization is, what they do, and how they are involved in the community. The arts collective plans to continue the events they have been hosting and further their impact on the community.
“Our mission as the Friday Arts Project is to foster craft and call forth a full human community through curating conversation,” Irwin said, “we believe that when people engage with creativity, especially through the arts, it creates a place for them to become better human beings, better citizens, and better neighbors.”
Kaitlyn Rodgers is an art student at Winthrop who is part of the Union of Students. Rodgers’ explained the Union of Students as having the same goal of “bringing people together with creative ideas and opportunities,” just like the Friday Arts Project. “The Friday Arts Project has a strong base here at Winthrop,” Rodgers said, “the Union of Students works hand in hand with them in the sense of having the same goals of creating opportunities for the students.”
The Friday Arts Project gives students at Winthrop a chance to be a part of a bigger artist community in Rock Hill. Many of the students at Winthrop are already involved, but are encouraged to join the collective to experience how the “arts can make the community more captivating and inspiring,” Irwin said.
The Art Party started four years ago that stemmed from the holiday sale a local artist, Harriet Goode, did for years the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Goode invited Friday Arts Project to “take it on and see what would happen if more energy were put into it and ‘Art Party’ was born,” Irwin said.
For the first time this year there will be an event combining a short film and live comedy featuring The 22 Tour organization and Ben Sliker. Irwin said, “the proceeds will be going toward an organization called ‘Stop Solider Suicide,” which is an organization that works to provide resources for veterans.
The Art Market, “shows the art students the broader art community that exists in Rock Hill,” Irwin said, “it is a small but vital community that has merit and growing influence.” The Art Party gives students the opportunity to begin a platform for after they graduate from the university. Those attending the event “can expect to see art done by people who are not professional or trained artists who are doing art regardless of who they are,” Irwin said. Rodgers’ statement paralleled with Irwins when she said, “the Union of Students art market will be filled with student work where people can come and purchase art to support the students.” A mixture of different types of people will be contributing their art, hoping to put their influence on the world.
Irwin closed the conversation with, “I once heard a lecture by a Hollywood screenwriter who said there are two types of people in the world,” Irwin said, “artists and those that support them.”
Winthrop’s Union of Student Artist’s will be participating in the “Out of the Rut” Art Market and Auction on Nov. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Courtroom in Getty’s Art Center, located at 201 E Main St.
