Angelina Uy created the Visual Arts Club to fill the gap in Charlotte’s arts-related clubs. The student organization officially began in January 2024 and provides an environment for various creatives.
Uy, a first-year at UNC Charlotte, knew she wanted to be in an art club before enrolling at the University. When she began attending in the fall of 2023, she learned there were no broad art clubs, so she created one. She is the current president of the organization.
“I looked around, and there was nothing. There was no art club; the only thing close was designers or illustrators, and that’s very niche,” said Uy. “What if I just wanted to do painting, drawing and sculpting? What if I just wanted a community where I could draw in a sketchbook and meet friends? So from the very beginning, I was like, ‘If there isn’t one, I’m gonna make one.’ Towards the end of that first semester, I just started doing it.”
During Visual Arts Club meetings, students sit and talk while making art.
“Students come in, and they sit down. They can grab supplies they want to use, bring their art supplies and just make art and talk. Usually, we provide refreshments and stuff, and that’s it. It’s like a hang-out spot where you can make art,” said Uy.
Despite being a new addition to the University’s student organizations, the Visual Arts Club already has several projects in progress.
The club collaborated with the Revolutionary Student Front at Charlotte this year to make art for their demonstrations and events. A group within the club also works with the environmental clubs to make art with recycled materials, and another creates guerilla art squares to be placed randomly around campus.
“We are working with the Revolutionary Student Front, the RSF, in terms of art for vigils and protests. We are in contact with the environmentalist clubs, and we hope to be working with recycling materials and using those in community-building art forms,” said Uy.
While the Visual Arts Club works on multiple projects, student members also work on their own projects.
Jasper Barton, a first-year club member, spends their time in the club working on patches. Patch-making is a project Barton wanted to take on before joining the club, but they needed the means to do so.
“What I like to do [at meetings] is make patches for clothing and such. I like to work on stuff like that. We also have people who work with air-dry clay, or they can do traditional painting or drawing. It’s very free-flowing, and it does not feel restricted by medium, which is really nice,” said Barton.
The open-minded environment of the club is also important to members.
“The club is a safe space for creativity and artistic innovation with no fear of judgment or isolation,” said Barton. “I enjoy the environment and the people as well. They all seemed very kind, open-minded, generally supportive and willing to go out of their way to help other people, especially in the context of creating visual art.”
Though the club is aimed at creating art, it is not restricted to art majors. Any student can join, no matter their major or artistic ability. Members range from having never created art to having had art in galleries.
“One student had their artwork in galleries, but their major isn’t art. It amazed me. Sometimes, people come in and say, ‘I’ve never made art before; is this the place I should be.’ That’s why, on all the posters, we say you only need the desire to create art. I want people who want to make art, and that can be any level of skill,” said Uy.
The club has not yet set up a teaching schedule, but students can learn new mediums and art techniques by being in the club and attending meetings.
“If you are curious about a specific medium, there is someone to help you. We don’t necessarily focus on education, but that’s not to say it isn’t there. You just have to ask for it yourself,” said Barton.
More information about the Visual Arts Club can be found on their Instagram, @unccvisualartsclub.
