Visual Arts Community gets down and dirty to acrylic pours

The Visual Arts Community promotes a safe space for local artists

Sabrina Sirani applies paint to the wooden shape in a swirling motion using a popsticle stick. Jethro Shoruan | The Argonaut

Acrylic pour: exciting, fun, creative and mentally stimulating. Everything the Talk Dirty to Me event hosted by the Visual Arts Community was — everything that a University of Idaho student wants — even outside of the College of Art and Architecture.

VAC held an acrylic pour workshop, Sept. 30 that was open to anyone in the Palouse. All materials were provided, the only thing needed was a bright mind and a sense of creativity.

Other than the event being fun, it was educational — VAC loves teaching the community art.

“It’s fun to share something that has more depth than what people typically give to,” said VAC President Nicole Mashburn. “It’s not necessarily the way people have to go and it’s cool to let people express themselves in a way that is not restrictive to the type of medium or artistic people.”

Those who attended the event Talk Dirty to Me left with their artwork and a better understanding of what acrylic pour is — when paint is poured onto a canvas, instead of traditional brush painting.

Different colors can be poured into a cup and then onto the canvas to layer and combine.

The club started with six people who enjoyed making art together, forming it into a safe space for other people who also enjoyed creating.

Mashburn is finishing her degrees in marketing and advertising. Other members are majoring in textiles, ceramics, architecture and landscape.

VAC allows not only art majors but anyone who enjoys creating and making to join.

“I’m not sure that our club is important to the university as an entity, but as important to the student body more as self expression and the availability of all of us to get together and have a good time,” Mashburn said.

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There are a lot of people who want to do artistic things but don’t have a way to access materials by themselves. VAC gives people a way to dip their toes in the water and experiment without feeling judged or wanting the commitment of signing up for a class.

The club provides a way for students to express themselves artistically in a community full of people who are passionate about art.

To learn more about VAC, visit their Facebook page which includes many of their events.

Emily Pearce can be reached at [email protected] or Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce

About the Author

Emily Pearce I'm a psychology and communications major graduating in spring 2022. Read my stories in LIFE, News and Opinion at The Argonaut.

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