Pottery, photographs on sale to benefit Union Studios

The School of Fine Arts is not the only place to strengthen your artistic muscles on campus.\nUnion Studios is hosting its bi-annual ceramics and photography sale today and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale is located next to Delights in the IMU, around the corner from Burger King. The sale will feature pottery and photographs created by its members, staff and students. These artistic creations will benefit the creators and Union Studios by keeping the studio updated.\n"It's an opportunity for people who have been artists or who want to be artists to sell their items and earn money from them," said Union Studios Program Coordinator Kera McElvain.\nIncluded in the sale are various ceramic dishes and some sculpture, as well as photographs of IU, Bloomington and possibly this year's Little 500. The prices range from $1 to $40. All of the pottery is dishwasher, microwave and food safe unless a piece has a label that states otherwise.\nThe sale began about one year ago, as former resident potter and current ceramics instructor Joy Hanford brainstormed an idea to make the studio a profit and clear leftover pieces from its space. Participants frequently leave pieces at the studio that they either forgot or did not like. The first sale had only abandoned pieces and garnered almost a $1,000 profit for Union Studios.\nThis sale, the studio's fourth, has evolved so that student, instructor and member participants also sell their art for profit.\nJustin Pollard, the current resident potter and a BFA student, encourages people to buy pieces for their home.\n"There's a lot of wonderful work in the sale and lots of skill levels," he said.\nThis semester's sale will also feature work from the collection of a recently deceased local member and retiree, Stan Lee. Lee was an education professor at IU--Purdue University Fort Wayne before retiring in Bloomington, Hanford said. He first learned how to make ceramics in his 20s and was a member of Union Studios during his retirement. After his death at the age of 90, his wife donated his pottery collection to the studio.\nThe collection is so large that future sales will contain his pieces as well, said Hanford.\nMcElvain and Hanford also said the sale is great way to inform students and community members about the opportunities they can have at Union Studios.\nCreating ceramics or photographs are "great way to have fun and relieve stress," McElvain said. "People can start a new hobby."\nIt's a great resource for students and community members who like art but don't have a lot of time, Hanford said.\nUnion Studios is in the IMU Back Alley, behind the bowling and video game area. Enrolled members have access to the pottery and darkroom studios. Six-week pottery and photography classes of various skill levels are available, as well.\nInterested artists can purchase memberships and sign up for classes at the Activities Desk in the IMU. Summer sessions are May 9 through June 14 and June 27 through Aug. 2. Classes and memberships are $85 for students, $90 for non-students, include some needed materials and can be billed to the bursar. For more information, e-mail studios@indiana.edu or visit the Web site at www.imu.indiana.edu/studios.