School of Design & Communication Student Organizations

UWSP Student Chapter

The School of Design and Communication supports a large and very active student chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). This student group is directly affiliated with the national AIGA organization, the most comprehensive graphic design organization in the country (http://www.aiga.org). The UWSP chapter sponsors and coordinates many activities each year including visiting designers, workshops, portfolio reviews, field trips, and travel to design conferences. Additionally the UWSP AIGA chapter hosts the nowHERE Graphic Design Conference, which brings artists and designers to campus for a weekend of workshops, presentations, and interaction.

The Association of Art Historian and Scholars (AAHS, known in some quarters as “AArtvark”) is a student organization devoted to Art History.  AAHS is recognized and partially funded by the UWSP Student Government Association. The leaders are President (or Co-Presidents), Secretary, Treasurer and Reporter, the last being responsible also for the group’s web presence. There are also two faculty advisors. The group organizes many activities in pursuit of the members’ interests in art history, including sponsoring visiting scholars and other guest lectures, field trips (of several degrees of scale, elaboration and distance) and other formal activities, plus a number of informal activities arranged on an ad hoc basis by anyone interested. This is the only organization in the state of Wisconsin that indulges in the delightful pastime of Textbook Racing. AAHS also looks after the interests of art history students as they conduct their careers at UWSP, sponsoring a students-advising-students workshop in which upper-class Art History students assist younger students who have or may develop a special devotion to the field.  AArtvark members also assist in a number of activities in the School of Design and Communication in a volunteer capacity.

The Student Art League is a UWSP recognized and funded student organization. SAL’s mission is to bring a new awareness of the visual arts to the campus and community. SAL hosts events each semester, encouraging students to look outside of the classroom for fun, challenging, and professional arts-based experiences. Events include the Student Art League sale, arranging for visiting artists, open life drawing sessions, and gallery/museum trips.

Sculpt is a student group of artists and alumni who are interested in three-dimensional art covering a wide range of media and exploration. Traditional approaches, such as metal and glass casting, welding, wood-working, and ceramics are investigated, as are contemporary methods, including as installation, performance, video, video installations, wearable art, light sculpture, animation, and environmental art. The group’s mission is to build community through art, and to provide professional development and educational opportunities for student artists and community members through workshops, internships, publication, exhibitions, special events, visiting artists and travel.