Art is a medium that can allow for escape and creativity.
“Everything you can imagine is real” is a famous quote from Picasso, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.
In order to realize what students can imagine as an artist, students may need certain art supplies and resources that can vary depending on the artist and project. At the end of each school year art teachers submit budgets for supplies; however, these budgets often can not cover special projects that advanced students do. The school does provide students with a wide variety of base supplies, but many desire to go beyond the options provided for them..
The art supply business is a huge industry. So much so that according to Statista, in the year 2022 the art supplies market generated $32 billion in sales.
Arts supplies needed for their projects can become costly. Senior Gabby Buckely takes IB art and often purchases her own supplies. Buckley explains that in lower art classes the projects are very standard and students are able to use the set supplies. However by the time students get to upper levels of the art class they may want to go work with different mediums.
““You might have to make an acrylic painting based on a figure, you have the paint and everything you need as a freshman. But in IB you think outside the box and they might not have the supplies, I know I’ve had to buy a lot of my stuff,” Buckley said.
According to senior Lily Liotti, the expense for IB Art supplies can exceed $50 on the high end with the average being around $20 per project, which may not seem like a lot but can add up over time.
Nevertheless, IB students find ways.to get around the high expense.
“ I’ve had classmates let me borrow their needles or threads. If we have something left over that we know we’re not going to use, we give it to our classmates to use,” Buckley said.
Not only is exchanging supplies with friends and classmates a way to get around high expenses but searching through basements may also be the key, according to all three interviews.
“I have a ton of art pieces and awards that I have won from when I was younger. I repurposed some newspaper clipping from when I ran cross country at the middle school and I used paper from my scrapbook,” Buckley said.
However, for some, a basement may not be the strangest place they’ve looked; nevertheless. still a common asset.
Junior Keira Sweeney has become very creative when looking for material.
“The strangest place I’ve found equipment is the junkyard by my neighborhood. I went searching and found cardboard there. I have to buy larger pieces, but if I’m looking for scraps my grandma has a ton of scraps. I just raid her basement,” Sweeney said.
Not only can the process of finding equipment be strange and inventive for the students involved but also awkward as they may need to ask for additional help.
“ My first expensive project, my parents paid for it all for me and I was thankful but then I found out that I liked doing fabrics and that it was worth it. I kept buying more, and we came to this compromise where we would each pay half, It’s awkward. I have to ask them if they can pitch in though not every kid has that opportunity,.” Sweeney said.
As a result of expenses, students may change the details of their projects from time to time.
“ I wanted a purple and yellow color scheme for my newest project. I went to the back of the art room and found a dark shade of purple., I didn’t know what shade of purple I wanted for my project, so I changed some details. I had to go out and buy another shade of purple to match. You just have to mix and match things together until you find a way that you like. There have been times when I wanted to raise something for a project. I used foam or resources from another project just because I didn’t want to spend any more money,” Sweeney said.
No expense, however, can take away the innovativeness and creativity that art brings to our world. All students stressed that future art students should follow the following tips, such as looking around at home, finding friends in your medium, and staying creative. They also stressed that art is accessible to anyone and that students should not be dismayed by expenses that are often elective.
These artists are just following Picasso’s advice.
“I paint objects as I think them not as I seem them.”
