Photo by Jason Aparicio
By Jason Aparicio
On Oct. 30, the Creative Club at William Peace University hosted Creative Expression Night at Main Building, showcasing the club’s artwork, ranging from painting to digital art, for guests to view.
The event offered food and drinks for guests and included President Jennifer E. Walsh, who spoke with the artists about their work and shared insights into what their art means to each artist.
Erica McRae, a senior majoring in UX design, shared their personal view and vision for the event’s future and how it can grow into an annual tradition.
“I feel like art is the way we visually show what’s in our minds, our hearts, and what we’re thinking,” said McRae. “Art is such a broad spectrum and we have a lot of that shown today and although I won’t be running the event as president, I hope this event continues yearly at Peace.”
Creative Expression Night allows students to display their work, as opportunities may not be offered outside, giving them a platform to showcase it. The event is entering its second year and continues to grow, with more participants joining through both the annual event and biweekly meetings at Peace.
In an interview with Jocelyn Casanova, a junior majoring in marketing, Casanova discussed their participation in Creative Expression Night and shared what the event means for participating students.
“Creative Expression Night is a night where everybody can express and show their creativity through many different art forms such as painting, pictures, films, even games, and it’s a way for people to demonstrate their creative abilities through any kind of form,” said Casanova.
Casanova showcased their art, “The American Dream We Carry,” using film photography. Their artwork shows how Casanova’s family relocated from place to place in search of a place to thrive, like the Monarch Butterfly, which travels thousands of miles to find a place to thrive alongside its species.
Photo by Jocelyn Casanova
“The American Dream that I carry is that my parents wanted me to come to America for a better future, which was to go to a university and when you look at images that are in a mirror, you should see your reflection being at Peace because the American Dream I carry is going to university.” said Casanova
Other participants noted that the event’s beauty lies in the diversity of art forms on display, which gives people a chance to appreciate the creativity.
“Creative Expression Night means people coming together to express their thoughts and enjoy all forms of art,” said Nicholas Vargas, a senior majoring in simulation and game design. “There are all kinds of different types of art, which is what makes it beautiful and I’m glad we have a way for people to appreciate it.”
“This is a chance for me to show the hard work that I’ve done and put into the creative aspects of my life,” said Lesly Blanco, a senior majoring in simulation and game design.