LIFE

Open-studio time for WCC’s student artists

From left: Edie Ostapik, Claudia Dione, Nick Ransom and Natalie Allinger take time during Drawing Club to look at a drawing that Nick drew for class. Gray Bancroft | Washtenaw Voice

BY COLIN MACDOUGALL

Contributor

On the second floor of the Student Center, the student art show is currently running through the end of March. Student artists from all different walks of life present their work and show off their talent to their peers and community. Another outlet for student artists to take advantage of at Washtenaw Community College is the Drawing Club and the open studio time it has to offer.

Micheal O’Dell Jr., 32, a 3-D design student of Ann Arbor uses his time at the Drawing Club to refine his skills. Gray Bancroft | Washtenaw Voice

“If they’re an art student, then they plan to have art be their major. At this point, the perfect opportunity for them to present personal work is to get group critiques,” said Micheal O’Dell Jr., vice president and long-time club member from Ann Arbor.

“There is not much the school has to offer in terms of tutoring, critiquing, and group space for everyone to get together outside of classes, that’s sponsored by the school,” O’Dell said.

“As much as we are the few people taking it seriously, as this is going to be our profession, anybody who draws can get the value out of the community of peers to communicate with, whether it be the critiques or just bouncing off ideas,” said Nick Ransom, president of the Drawing Club.

Ransom is a 27-year-old liberal arts major from Ypsilanti who first found out about the club through O’Dell. The two have a life drawing class together.

“Immediately, Mike stood out to me in class because he was already very intent on making this a career. If you surround yourself with a bunch of people who are aimless, you yourself become aimless,” Ransom said.

Ransom plans on making a career out of painting.

“I want to conceptualize what it means to interpret color and emotion; and combine them all together,” Ransom said.

A slight touch and attention to detail are important for drawing. Gray Bancroft | Washtenaw Voice

“(Drawing Club is) a great way to grow as an artist and to be with other fellow artists to work together to improve each other’s work,” O’Dell said.

Jill Jepsen has been a WCC part-time faculty member since fall 2011. Jepsen teaches Introduction to Art, Basic Design, and Basic Drawing, depending on the semester. This is her second semester as faculty adviser for the club.

“Our first meeting this winter semester had lots of energy and people in the room,” Jepsen said. “We are hoping that these open-studio sessions can draw both students and members of the Drawing Club here to feel like they’re part of a community.”

Drawing Club meets the first and third Tuesday of the month from 3:30 – 5 p.m. in room 174 of the Crane Liberal Arts and Sciences building.