Demarest Hall art show paints picture of campus creativity

On Friday, Demarest Hall hosted an art show featuring the works of Rutgers’s talented student body. 

The show took place in the basement of Demarest, and welcomed guests to view and purchase the art on display. The gallery consisted of a poetry wall, photos, paintings, knittings, live music and other vibrant pieces.

Maggie Gross, a School of Communications and Information senior, was one of the vendors, selling her art for the first time. Her adorable knitted plushies were a hit.

“I’ve never sold my art before — I came here very last minute, but I’m really excited.” Gross said. “People really seem to like them, too.”

Gross began making her plushies only six months ago after being inspired by a stuffed octopus she saw at a town fair. 

“I thought it would be really cool to be able to make my own stuffed animals,” she said. “That week, I looked on YouTube … it really took off after that.”

To bring the show to life, a substantial amount of planning and coordination was involved — the event had been in the works before the Spring 2024 semester even started. To compile the entire exhibition, Demarest posted about the event on social media and put up flyers around campus.

Through a Google Form accessed by QR codes on posters and social media, students were able to express their interest in displaying their work at the art show. Approximately a month ago, submissions skyrocketed and the event really began to come together. 

Peyton Yoo, a School of Arts and Science first-year, was another one of the artists who submitted some of her pieces to be displayed at the art show. This was her first time presenting her poems to the public.

“I submitted one of them anonymously,” Yoo said. “I’m a little nervous, but it’s okay."

Steven Packard, a School of Arts and Sciences senior, enjoyed looking around the gallery. 

“Demarest always has all these like, quirky events. There’s a lot of talented and creative people here,” Packard said. “Every time I come here, there’s always something new and exciting.”

Out of all of the displays, the one that stood out most to Packard was the ink blotting station.

“They’re inviting random people to go by and make their own little designs,” Packard said. “You can roll ink on this kind of parchment paper. It’s really cool.”

The “Writers Wall” was another hit of the night. Against one of the walls in the gallery was a large sheet with original poems pasted up on it for people to read.

On the horizon, Demarest is hosting another event this Thursday, “Anything But Clothes (but You Have to Wear SOMETHING)," where patrons are encouraged to show up in unique outfits. The hall’s biggest event, Demfest, an outdoor charity event, will also be held later this semester.