ATHENS – Professor Blu Smith’s class of Athens State art students are planning to put what they are learning this summer to practical use. The class, Art Business Entrepreneurship, meets at the Alabama Center for the Arts in Decatur and is planning an event to promote student work and to bring awareness to the ACA. The Art Business class, through Athens State’s art department, covers basic entrepreneurial guidelines which include market analysis, planning, promotion, accounting as well as social networking, mentorship and sustainability. The course began with a self-assessment of the student’s propensity for entrepreneurship.
“We have a diverse group of students, all of whom have special qualities and skills to bring to our venture,” states Smith. “The goal is to build confidence, knowledge and experience to allow viewing art as a viable focus for a successful business.” “Part of the fun is throwing around ideas and getting input from everyone on how to do some creative problem solving, which is a vital aspect of any business.”
The class is calling their venture a “pop-up” gallery. This “movable” venue for displaying student artwork will be unveiled at the 3rd Friday Downtown celebration scheduled for July 18. Student artwork will be available for sale along with T-Shirts that carry the Pop Up logo.
Smith continues, “One of our students developed our logo; a pop-up camper. The business name is, “Pop Goes the Artist.” We, also, have a Facebook page under that name. We hope people will like our page and come out to the event!”
3rd Fridays Downtown offers an opportunity for the community to gather downtown, learn the history of the city, support local merchants and enjoy diverse forms of entertainment. The Alabama Center for the Arts will be open until 9:00 p.m. during the event.
MEDIA RELEASE/ATHENS STATE UNIVERSITY/GUY MCCLURE, JR.
