USI’s Art Club participates at Fall Fest in a way some might call “corny.” Literally!
The Art Club corn booth, No. 38, has been a Fall Fest staple for years. From originally selling buttered corn on the cob to selling elote (Mexican street corn), the corn booth is unique in every aspect.
“I think what makes the corn booth stand out among the other booths at the Fall Fest is that it’s entirely hand-made by people who are passionate about Art Club and its members,” said Violet Thomas-Cummings, vice president of Art Club. “Not only are paintings added to the outside by Art Club members every year, but the entire trailer was hand built by faculty when Art Club first started working the Fall Fest.”
Thomas-Cummings said members are encouraged to sign the inside of the booth with a corn-themed pun so they are “forever part of the booth.”
Greg Blair, faculty advisor of Art Club and assistant professor of art and design, said the club begins preparing for Fall Fest in July.
“It is an unbelievable amount of work,” he said. “It’s the only fundraiser we do.”
Blair said most of the money the club raises at Fall Fest is used towards their annual out-of-state trip.
“The idea behind that is that the Art Club utilizes the funds that we make through our booth at Fall Fest to kind of subsidize the trip,” he said. “We make it very affordable for students.”
Every hour a member works the corn booth, $10 is taken off their trip cost. Blair said he’s had some students work the corn booth long enough to go on the trip for free.
“This allows our members to visit art galleries, museums and artist studios for a very affordable cost — while also immersing them more in the art world away from where they are most comfortable,” Thomas-Cummings said.
In the past, the Art Club visited Chicago, Illinois, and Cincinnati, Ohio. This year, the club will go to Atlanta, Georgia, a city they have never visited as a group.
“We try to have somewhat of an art focus, but we also look at it as kind of an urban cultural experience as well,” Blair said.
The Art Club trip includes guided activities, such as visiting museums or galleries, and time for students to explore different parts of the city together.
“Sometimes, there might be something specific that a student has researched that they want to do, but we also provide a list of other interesting cultural activities that they can do,” Blair said.
Thomas-Cummings said the remainder of the Fall Fest funds goes toward funding activities for standard meetings.
Blair said the Art Club has various activities throughout the year, including workshops, art exhibitions and social outings. Sometimes, Art Club events are open to the public if they provide artistic, educational opportunities to the entire student body.
The Art Club membership fee is $5, but members will likely receive this money back in the form of free food.
“The membership fee is not really how we raise money to do our activities. That’s really the corn booth,” Blair said.
If one thing is for certain, the corn booth is here to stay.
“I love working the corn booth because I get to people-watch, jam out to music and spend time with fellow artists,” Thomas-Cummings said.
