ASUI Vandal Entertainment is partnering with downtown Moscow’s Wild at Art to present “Vandals After Dark Paint Night” at 8 p.m. Thursday in the Vandal Ballroom of the Bruce Pitman Center.
The event is free for University of Idaho students with their Vandal Card, but space is limited to 100 people, so entrance is granted on a first come, first serve basis. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and attendees will be able to take their artwork home upon completion.
The paint night is a Bob Ross-style tutorial canvas painting event designed to encourage people to “play with art,” said Joan Hoffman, co-owner of Wild at Art.
Donald Stanziano, co-owner and husband of Hofmann, said they will provide a template as inspiration at the event, but there’s no expectations.
“Enjoy yourselves, and be creative,” Stanziano said. “Take the editor and the critic and put them in the other room and lock the door.”
Hofmann said it’s not about copying the template but about “exploring and playing.” She said she and her husband are not educated artists but rather are creative people who like to explore art and find it relaxing.
“We provide the background, but it’s not an art class,” Stanziano said. “You don’t have to be perfect at this. There’s no judging going on.”
Vandal Entertainment Late Night and Films Chair Kendyl Smith said UI has a vibrant community, and Vandals After Dark Paint Night is designed to help promote and celebrate that vibrancy as well as get more people involved on campus.
Smith said the university held a similar painting event last year with Wild at Art, prior to Hofmann and Stanziano’s purchase of the business. She said it was a very popular event last year, so Vandal Entertainment board members wanted to keep the event going for those who would like to test out their painting skills.
“It’s a fun, easy opportunity to try your hand at something you’ve never done before,” Smith said. “Be prepared to have a good time, and probably don’t wear your best clothes.”
The event will last a couple hours and there will be free pizza, Stanziano said. He said the event is a fun experience that’s different from a college student’s typical agenda. He said there’s a bit of risk-taking involved but he said he hopes even one person can come away from the event saying “I had no reason to call myself a lousy artist.”
The event allows for self-examination and self-reflection, Stanziano said. Hofmann said, however, that even if an attendee doesn’t leave feeling like they love their artwork, she hopes they enjoyed the experience altogether.
“It’s really about having fun,” Hofmann said. “It’s a great form of entertainment. It’s healthy and makes you expand your way of looking at things.”
Hofmann and Stanziano said they look forward to working with UI and Washington State University in the future because it benefits both them and the students. Wild at Art’s next event with UI is “Paint a Pint” 7 p.m. Oct. 27, during Dads’ Weekend.
Vandal Entertainment also has a lineup of events during Dad’s Weekend, including a hypnotist show and three screenings of “Despicable Me 3.
Jordan Willson can be reached at [email protected]