Tim Pepper
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Junior Ashley Hill has always loved art. Her parents were always supportive of her creativity and she often remembers her mother having craft projects for her to do on rainy days. As a child she would receive art books from her aunt and uncle every Christmas, each specializing in a different type of art project.
Hill also recalls taking art classes at the Dover Art League, a non-profit organization based in Dover, DE that is dedicated to creating opportunities to grow in artistic ability for artists of all ages and skill sets. Although classes at this institution were expensive, making it so Hill could only take a few of them, they fueled her passion for art. This allowed her to not only create art, but to profit from it.
The number of artistic options provided at Virginia Wesleyan College surprised Hill when she first arrived here. She found that the art professors here are great and that the programs offered here, such as glassblowing, are experiences that she would rarely be able to find at any other school.
“We are actually working with real artists,” said Hill. “I never would have been able to have experiences like glassblowing anywhere else.”
Outside of the academics, Hill is also involved with the Student Government Association (SGA) and The Outlet. As a junior senator in SGA, Hill is working hard to speak up for the student body at VWC. The Outlet is a publication on campus that dedicates itself to recognizing the untapped creative talent stored on campus.
Hill is passionate about the publication and hopes to see more art sent in in the future.
“We really want more people to start submitting their art,” said Hill. “It would really help to recognize the artists we have here on campus.”
Hill’s dream is to use her art and business double major to become a small business owner. She plans to create a shop that allows local artists to promote and sell their art. Hill hopes that by doing this she will be able to help unknown artists to make a name in the art world. Hill believes that more artists should take the art and business route because it allows artists to learn the skills it takes to prosper in the real world as an artist.
“It is a good combination because it uses both sides of your brain,” says Hill. “The business side is important because as an artist you need marketing to get yourself out there and the skills you learn in business will allow you know what to expect when promoting and selling your art and you can do a majority of the business side yourself.”
Hill has recently received a job at Gardens of Virginia Beach retirement facility where she teaches teaching the elderly drawing and art history. She teaches two classes a week, one on the fundamentals of drawing, and the other is a course in which they learn about a new artist every week.
“So far they have learned shading and the color wheel along with depth and three dimensional shapes,” said Hill.
Hill loves quilting and drawing and hopes to help the community when she graduates by joining non-profit organizations that create art around cities.
“Don’t forget to go to the Spring Art Show in the fish bowl right after spring break,” said Hill. “It’s nice when the school recognizes the art students by putting their art up around campus, I think they should do more of that.”
Hill is one of many talented artist on campus, and has high aspirations for her artistic future on campus, and beyond.
