The Arts & Culture Association hosted its second annual Clark-O-Ween event in collaboration with student artists and the Clay Club on Monday, Oct. 27.

The community effort, led by ACA president Autumn Smedley, offered attendees the opportunity to participate in festivities such as screen printing shirts, a costume contest, viewing the student work showcase and a look into artist alley.

Senior art major and Smedley said, “We started Clark-O-Ween as a way to bring students together for a holiday, and to strengthen that sense of community.”

The ACA was officially recognized as a student organization as of Nov. 7, 2023. This year marks the second time the club has organized Clark-O-Ween.

“When we started this club, the whole department felt very separate; people had their artistic niches and their own thing. The reason behind Clark-O-Ween is really to reinforce the values behind the club, that we are all educators and student-artists who create together,” Izzy Bradley, senior art major and vice president of the ACA, explained.

The preparations were crucial to the event’s success, as the organization had to grapple with patience and limited resources at its disposal.

“It has taken us a long time to put together. Our first go around only took us the month of October because everyone seemed ready to chomp at the bit to help out, but this go around, we knew we wanted to be prepared and ready to make it bigger and more organized than ever. It took us about two months, and man, was it worth it,” Bradley said.

Several students, dressed in Halloween costumes, attended the event at Clark Hall.

First place winner of the Clark-O-Ween costume contest, Camryn Aucoin, a former art major and graphic designer, said, “I would love to see Clark-O-Ween make a return next year. My favorite part was the screen-printed shirts. I loved all the designs and getting to pick my own.”

Aucoin’s first-place winning costume was the famous saint of the Catholic Church, Joan of Arc. Dressed as the famous saint of the Catholic Church, Aucoin commented, 

“I was honestly very shocked to win first place because I don’t really put myself out there to do things like this. I really enjoyed the love and appreciation I got for my chainmail that I made for the costume,” she said.

The event provided an opportunity for artists, such as Rosemary Matthews, a graduating art major with a concentration in ceramics, to showcase and sell their pieces. The artist’s table featured a diverse selection of handmade jewelry, ceramic pieces and hand-pulled prints. 

“This seemed like a fun, easy way to start selling my work. I’m trying to get better about actually going out there. I make a lot of stuff and I’m very confident in the work I produce, but it’s the extra effort of going to sell it that has been tough,” Matthews, the former SGA Vice President, said.

In addition to the gallery featuring art provided by students, participants had the opportunity to paint clay ghosts with supplies from the Clay Club. With screenprinting directed by Bradley taking place next door, the shirts featured individual designs created by participating student-artists.

“For us all to come together as a community and celebrate what we do and what we are… is something beautiful,” Bradley said.

If you’d like to learn more about the Arts & Culture Association and visit events similar to Clark-O-Ween, follow them on Instagram at @aca.selu. Visit the Arts & Culture Association’s Instagram to learn more about future events.