The sounds of pencils and brushes sweeping across paper resound throughout the classroom. But those are far from the only sounds that can be heard; conversations, some loud and some quiet, are just as pervasive. 

After 2:14 p.m. on Tuesdays, most of the school is quiet; in room 214 however, the Art and Anime club is in full swing.

 For members like sophomore Kenneth Roberge, their passion for art is only one reason they attend the club.

“It gives people time to socialize, make art and just mess around with their friends,” Roberge said.

Art teacher Suzanne Hjelm has advised the art club for over ten years. She started after the previous adviser retired. According to Hjelm, she is after school a lot, so “advising was a good fit.”

 Hjelm said that students participate in a wide variety of art-related activities in the club. Some attendees, she said, “use [drawing] programs on their tablets” whereas some students “still draw on paper.”

“There’s a small group that works in Ms. Halstead’s room on their ceramics,” Hjelm said. “Because it’s an open studio, almost anything can go on.”  

Beyond providing a space for students to work on art, the club also serves as a place for students to get together with friends. 

Sophomore Owen Dutil said that a major reason he attends the club is that “I have friends there.”

The reason sophomore Nick Van Dyne attends the club? 

“Owen made me,” Van Dyne said. “Then I thought it was fun, and now I want to go.”

According to Hjelm, the social aspects of art club help students improve their art. Students in art club often come because they want advice, not only from her, but from other students as well.

Plus, it provides “a chance for [students] to get together.” 

“Kids like commonality, which is the [most important] part,” she said. “They get to talk about [art], and they get to hang out, so I think that’s a really good benefit.”

In addition to providing students with time to get advice on their art, it also gives them an opportunity to work on personal projects. Sophomore Isabella Starns has been using the art club to work on a “huge project” She has been making since May of 2024.

“It’s a whole bunch of characters from shows, movies and games compiled into one big image,” Starns said. “I plan to turn it into a big poster or t-shirt.”

 Students who attend the club have various levels of experience. Dutil has been doing art “ever since I was a kid.”

Van Dyne, however, did not start off at such a young age, or with such a positive perspective.

“I hated [art], and I thought it was stupid,” Van Dyne said. 

Then, one night, Van Dyne decided that he wanted to draw two characters from a video game. Finding a tutorial on YouTube, he stayed up until the late hours of the night working on this drawing.

“[The drawing] came out pretty good,” Van Dyne said, “and I realized I didn’t hate art.” 

Along with having varying levels of experience, members also have ranging ambitions as to how far they will take their interest in art in their futures. 

Dutil does not plan on pursuing art because “it wouldn’t get me anywhere in life.” Other students, like Van Dyne, have a different view.

“I want to keep putting it on my YouTube channel,” Van Dyne said. “Maybe I can draw for people, and maybe I can get them to pay for it.”

Starns has similar aspirations as Van Dyne. She has been deciding between a career involving graphic design or one more oriented around 3D modeling and science, with both paths incorporating her art experience and skills.

“I take a bunch of honors classes, so it’s not for nothing,” Starns said. “I’d like to put it all to use.”

Art can offer more than just potential career paths, though. According to Hjelm, art is also important because it’s “a different way of thinking.”

“You get to think three dimensionally as well as solve problems,” Hjelm said. “Say you’re looking at something and you’re going to draw it; you have to analyze it.”

Students who are unsure about joining the club should not feel nervous about joining. Roberge describes the club as “very welcoming.” 

Hjelm describes the art club as an open studio, and that anyone is welcome to join at any time. Because the club is casual,  “people can come and go when it fits into their schedule.” 

“Even if you don’t feel like you do a lot of drawing or you’re super talented at art, it’s a good chance for you to come and explore, and maybe try some stuff out,” Hjelm said.