From creating Bob Ross inspired oil paintings to making comical portraits of one another, the Edina High School Art Club inspires creativity among all of its members. The club meets every other Tuesday after school in room S392, providing snacks, an activity, and a supportive atmosphere.

The club was started earlier this year by seniors Tiffany Qian and Lucy Yang as a place for themselves and fellow artists to make art. “Art club is a chill space where you can do art without being pressured to do anything else, and even if you come in and you don’t do much, it’s a place where you can relax,” Yang said.

Art Club has proven popular this year with a group of 20 to 30 regular attendees, and a GroupMe chat with about 60 students. Despite the success this year, the future of the club is uncertain. “Art Club has traditionally been an on-and-off thing depending on if there is student leadership at this school, but I don’t know about next year. I hope some underclassmen will talk to us about leading Art Club next year,” Yang said. 

For its members, Art Club can be a supplement to their art classes or an alternative means for practice. Senior member Jack Hatzung joined the club at the encouragement of his friends and continued attending when he discovered that he enjoyed it. “I miss art class, and I never took any [art classes] in high school, so Art Club is a good way to relax and do some art,” Hatzung said.

More dedicated artists like Yang use the meetings to sharpen their skills. “It’s given me a consistent time to work on something that I like, and it’s taught me that you need to invest time in your hobbies,” Yang said. 

Another aspect of the club is the support of student artists from all ability levels and purposes. “Any type of artist should join, even if you’re not an artist,” Hatzung said. Not only does the club facilitate growth, but it also provides support. “I like that it’s very chill, and I think that students are really stressed these days, so this is a very stress-free club and it’s really relaxing,” Hatzung said.