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Students Foster
Art Sale Success
When Christena Gunther first
joined the WUD Art Committee
in 2003, not very many people
knew of the Student Art Sale.
It was more of an afterthought for the
committee, not many students submitted
work and not many people showed up. But
all that has changed over the past few years.
The idea of an annual student art sale,
an all-but-elapsed event in the Wisconsin
Union Gallery Committee’s long history of
many different types of art sales, was
reincarnated in 2003. Under the leadership
of director Laura Parke Amundson (2002-
03, 2003-04), the Art Committee
revitalized the sale and put it back on the
official annual agenda.
When Christena was appointed director
in 2004, she and her committee took on the
challenge of refining, reorganizing and
developing the program into what it is
today.
“The students systematized the
process,” said Robin Schmoldt, Art
Committee advisor and collection manager.
“Christena and her committee reorganized
it and made it much more professional.”
The committee developed an effective
inventory system to keep track of every
transaction and kicked up their marketing
efforts to get more student artists to submit
work and more potential customers to
attend the sale. They also made the sale
more user-friendly by adding informational
signage, changing the hours of sale to cater
to people working on and off campus and
dedicating more time to great presentation
of the work.
After the sale was reformulated for
2004, it started to see an exponential
increase. In 2003, just over $300 in student
art work sold and eight artists had sales.
Over the past three years, the sale has
consistently sold over $1,500 in student
artwork, with an average of 18 artists with
sales each year. “Since implementing these
changes, each year sales have increased and
the quality of art work is high and diverse—
ranging from jewelry, stationery, paintings,
prints, drawings, photography and ceramics
in a variety of styles,” Christena said.
“Every year since [the sale was
reformulated], the sale has seen incredible
growth and development,” Robin reiterated.
“As excitement about the sale spreads via
word of mouth, more student artists are
getting involved and more community
members are walking through the doors.”
The sale has gained a reputation over
the last few years as a great place to obtain
student art at reasonable prices. It has also
received good coverage from the Wisconsin
State Journal and other local publications.
“As soon as we open our doors, we will have
people coming in to get first dibs on the
‘cool’ stuff,” Robin said.
Both Robin and Christena agree that
the sale is a wonderful opportunity for all
involved. “The student artists gain
knowledge in sales and receive much-needed
cash; the customers purchase original art
that is of high quality and an affordable,
reasonable price; and the WUD Art
Committee takes a small commission of
each sale to go toward purchasing art for the
Union and paying for gallery supplies,”
Christena said. “This is one of the few
instances where everyone benefits.”
Christena enjoyed her two-year term as
committee director. “Working closely with
WUD's dedicated volunteers is always a
pleasure,” Christena said, “but from a selfish
vantage point, I liked working the sale so I
could have first dibs on all of the great art!”
Christena purchased numerous prints from
the sale and now has them framed and
hanging in her apartment in New York City,
where she is working on her master’s degree
in Visual Arts Administration at NYU.
“Visitors to our apartment always
compliment the art and with pride I tell
them it's by Madison artists.”
The annual Student Art Sale takes
place every November in Memorial
Union’s Porter Butts and Class of
1925 Galleries. This year, the sale will
take place from Nov. 14-16. For more
information, visit the Art
Committee’s Web site,
http://www.union.wisc.edu/art.
Wisconsin Union
Gallery Schedule
September 28 - November 6
Opening Reception, 7-9 p.m.
Sept. 28, Main Lounge
Porter Butts Gallery:
Sculptures by Alonso Sierralta
Class of 1925 Gallery:
“Good is Good, Bad is Better”
by Huey Peckerhead
(linocuts, acrylic & tempera
paintings)
Theater Gallery:
Paintings by Doug Rassier
Lakefront on Langdon Gallery:
Glass artwork Martha Kauppi
November 14-16
Wisconsin Union Galleries:
Student Art Sale
Hours to be determined; visit
www.union.wisc.edu/art for more
details.
December 2 - January 22
Opening Reception 2-4 p.m.
Dec. 2, Main Lounge
Porter Butts Gallery:
“Passion, Pathos & Pageantry”
by Alex Wagman (sculpture) and
Phil Joanou (oil painting)
Class of 1925 Gallery:
Photography by Cara Cole
Theater Gallery:
“Take Back the Light!”
by John Norback (encaustic works)
Lakefront on Langdon Gallery:
Fairy tale inspired photo works by
Jessie Eisner-Klyle
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