Excitement is in the air as Art Club starts dreaming of trips and fundraisers for this next year. Meetings are held in Mrs. Palmiter’s room, B115; she has been the art club advisor since 2013. The schedule for this year is meetings every Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30. When senior and co-president Callie Walter was asked what one would expect to experience at a typical meeting she said, “an awkward gathering of introverts, who are also pretty rad.” Usually, meetings are used for talking about plans, eating snacks, and practicing art.

Fundraising this year will start out with Art Club hosting a Holiday Shoppe where people from Mary Kay, Avon and Scentsy, along with independent artists, photographers, knitters, quilters and more will set up booths in the Arlington High School’s commons. This event brings community members together and provides a good opportunity to get prepared for the holiday season early; it is scheduled to take place November 8th. Additionally, Art Club is planning to decorate big cookies for this event.

Along with the Holiday Shoppe, Art Club is in the process of brainstorming more fundraisers, and have decided to go to New York this March. This trip will include a five day tour of the city, access to museums, and a Broadway show. While this big trip is very exciting, the small trips planned throughout the year are just as anticipated. Last year, Art Club went to nursing homes in the area (Olympic Place and Cascade Valley Senior Living) and put on watercoloring lessons which Walter found “quite enjoyable and mentally refreshing.” A Seattle art gallery walk is in the works, as well as a trip to one of the San Juan Islands, both of which were memorable hits last year.

In addition to these previous trips, Art Club raised almost 5,000 dollars, which was presented to the Oso Mudslide victims through the Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation. They did this through selling t-shirts, specially designed by Mrs. Palmiter’s sister, Maggie Roberts, that say “Rescue Recover Remember.” One of Art Club’s goals is “doing art for the greater good,” said Mrs. Palmiter.

Art Club has an exciting year ahead of them as they plan to embark on many trips and experience new things. They are always welcoming new members to join in on the fun. Members range from art experts to people who like adventure and food. So in the name of art, join in on this awesome Arlington club.