First Wednesdays offer free opportunities in art to community

By AUSTIN LAGESSE, NEWS3 Reporter

MACOMB, Illinois (NEWS3) – First Wednesday is a Department of Art & Design initiative to help WIU students tap into creativity. The department offers free art projects for the Western Illinois University and the Macomb community.

“The art department, we’re very involved in the community, but we thought it was a great idea to get the word out about the department,” Damon McArthur, WIU Assistant Professor of Art. “Have events and see what we do in our classrooms, as basically a sort of community service.”

McArthur also said that First Wednesday is an opportunity to show the public that anyone can make art.

Art professors and student volunteers run a variety of stations for attendees to create projects of their choice. Some of the activities included are silk screen printing, small scale paintings, and single panel cartoons.

First Wednesdays take place on the first Wednesday of each month that it is offered during the academic year. Those interested can attend from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 1 and again on April 5, which will be the last First Wednesday of the semester. There will be activities in Garwood Hall and the Heating Plant Annex, along with extended university Art Gallery hours.

For more information, contact the Department of Art & Design at (309) 298-1549.

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