The Continuing Education Art Students’ second annual Art showcase is currently on display at the Truax Gallery. The exhibit, which began June 8, is open to the community until Sept. 20 on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.  

The art exhibit features pieces such as ceramic plates, watercolor paintings, photography and art welded rings and sculptures. Art students who are currently enrolled in a continuing education art course, or who have taken a continuing education art course within the last year, submitted their work for the show.  

Faculty members can also submit their work to be displayed in the exhibit. Jennifer Sheppard, a Continuing Education Class Programmer and former assistant art school director, submitted a ceramic plate to be featured in the exhibit.

The exhibit started in June with an opening reception, a usual practice for galleries when unveiling new shows. Galleries typically hold both opening and closing receptions, which include refreshments and art demonstrations, giving the community a chance to gather, celebrate creativity, and check out the different artworks. 

“I think my favorite part is the reception,” Jennifer Sheppard shared. “I like seeing and meeting all the people who made this amazing art, and you know, getting to interact with the students. Because of how everything is online, unless students stop by the office to drop off their submitted work, I don’t ever get to meet with them.” 

The structure of the continuing education courses, especially classes as popular as the art classes, helps build a supportive community. Since these classes are non-credit, students often take them repeatedly, leading to a consistent group of classmates over several semesters. This environment allows for the development of friendships, shared interests, and a sense of connection, creating a welcoming and familiar space that people enjoy returning to. 

The continuing education art classes are not just popular among the broader community, it’s also a favorite course among faculty members. “Not only do I work for continuing education, but I’m also a student, taking the ceramics class. I think that’s a testament to how fun it is. I even spend extra time at work taking the class! Plus, about half the people in my office are also enrolled in continuing education classes,” Sheppard remarked. 

Organizing this showcase requires contributions from various people. Jennifer Sheppard coordinates the continuing education art classes, while Marisa Rushing, the administrative coordinator for the School of Business and Applied Arts, handles logistics and scheduling. Nick Loveland, the senior lab coordinator for the School of Business and Applied Arts, takes care of hanging the artwork for the show and designs the invites and posters.  

Some artwork displayed in the exhibit is also available for purchase. Any artwork marked with an ‘FS’ is for sale followed by the price of the work. While artwork marked with ‘NFS’ is not available for sale. Interested buyers can fill out a paper form with their name, phone number and email address for the artist to contact them. For transparency reasons, all payment is done directly from the guest to the artist. 

“It’s heartwarming to see people proudly show their work to their families, taking pictures next to it,” Sheppard reflected. “Many have never had the opportunity to hang their work in a gallery before, so there’s an excited atmosphere, especially at the reception.” 

The Continuing Education Art Students show’s closing reception, which will be open to everyone, is on Thursday, Sept. 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be snacks and non-alcoholic refreshments. Guests can participate in art demonstrations trying out different paints. A baking instructor will provide ready-made cookies for guests to decorate. 

For more information and to stay up to date about future shows and class details go to madisoncollege.edu/pce or contact Jennifer Sheppard at [email protected] to sign up for the emailing list.