Hundreds filtered through the Prichard Art Gallery in downtown Moscow during the Moscow First Thursday Artwalk to see and purchase student art.
The Student Holiday Ceramics and Print Sale featured pieces from art, architecture and design students at the University of Idaho.
“I”m excited. I”ve never sold anything before, so I”m curious to see what sells and what people react to,” said student artist Anna Jackson at the sale last week.
Proceeds from the sale went to students and art and design programs.
Mike Sonnichsen, an art and design professor, said the percentage of proceeds given to art and design programs will increase this year from 10 percent to 25 percent. Students will receive the remaining 75 percent of the proceeds.
Sonnichsen said that percentage is high – since most artists receive about 50 percent of the revenue received from art sales.
Artist Cody Mage, a UI student, submitted ceramic mugs and bowls to the sale. He said he had been working on his artwork since November.
“It”s just a really good experience, I mean, going through all this,” Mage said. “It”s new and challenging.”
Mage said most students have been working on their submitted art since the beginning of November, but some students have been working since the semester started.
“I hand painted all my stuff. Hand made, hand carved,” student artist Rosalie Wold said of her decorative art.
This year was student artist Kateri Warnick”s first time submitting her leaf prints to the sale. She said she had never sold anything before.
“It”s just really therapeutic carving in a block of wood,” Warnick said of the prints.
Sonnichsen created the student art sale last year as an idea he took from previous teaching jobs in New Mexico and North Carolina.
Despite the larger size of art sales he has helped with in other states, he said he believes the UI sale could reach the same level in the future.
“This is ongoing and it”s only going to get bigger and better,” Sonnichsen said.
Sonnichsen took the reigns the first year, but said this year”s sale had the official support of the UI Ceramics Department and ceramics professor Casey Dolye.
Sonnichsen said the sale is beneficial not only to UI students, but Prichard Art Gallery and the city of Moscow.
He said the sale also gives student artists real world experience for their future careers.
“Rarely do we share practical advice or experiences and setups like this,” Sonnichsen said of the art department.
Sonnichsen said the event is something he is proud of and will definitely continue for years to come.
“It inspires so much confidence in the students,” Sonnichsen said. “For them to see people that are really impressed with the work, impressed enough to pay dollars for their work, it”s a really, really positive and instructive experience for the students.”
Taylor Nadauld can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @tnadauldarg