ARTHive, the student organization with a passion for all things related to art and art history, has been bringing students with a love for the arts together for years. “My favorite aspect of ARTHive is that it’s a really close-knit group of students who try to take their interests in the arts to an entirely new level,” commented Sarah Estrela ’15, the social media and public outreach coordinator for the club.
ARTHive was founded in 2009 by Betsy Malony ’11. “Betsy was an Art History major, and wanted to form a club to get people involved in the art community and to reach out to other Art History majors,” explained current ARTHive President, Ellen Eckhout ‘14. The main goal of the club is to engage Wheaton students and other Wheaton community members with the world of art. “We also seek to provide support for other Art History majors through study groups, internship panels, and conversations with alumni in the arts,” added Eckhout.
This semester ARTHive partnered with Techpaths, a Wheaton program that brings technology-affiliated individuals to speak at Wheaton, to bring NYC street photographer, Daniel Albanese, to Wheaton. He spoke on campus Tuesday, September 17th, to much acclaim. In addition to Albanese’s appearance, ARTHive members will be attending an exhibition opening at the Axelle Fine Arts gallery in Boston, holding a course preview party for the Art History spring semester classes, and speaking with alumni about careers in the arts.
Erin Wolf ’15, ARTHive Treasurer, wants every Wheaton student to see the ARTHive logo and know exactly what it means, explaining, “One of our goals and objectives of the club this year is to have a stronger presence in the Wheaton community. We want people to look around, see our logo on various locations and popular spots around campus, and have people recognize ARTHive and actually know what it is we do.”
When asked about her favorite aspect of ARTHive, Eckhout replied, “ I have met so many wonderful and inspiring people through this organization, both student, alumni, and guest speakers. ARTHive has enabled me to become an active member of the art world, and to share my passion for this field with the Wheaton community.” Wolf, answering that same question, responded, “My favorite aspect of the group is the professionalism each member brings with them to club meetings and events … Also, it’s always comforting to know that the person sitting next to you during our club meeting is just as obsessed with art as you are!”
Currently, Estrela is taking a break from ARTHive while abroad but she did comment on importance of ARTHive to the community, “I’ve personally made some of the best friends I’ve had at Wheaton through ARTHive, and it wasn’t only because of a mutual passion for art history, but also because we share the ideals that communities are shaped by creativity, open-mindedness, and acceptance.” This acceptance and open-mindedness that Estrela speaks of are not only key values of ARTHive but are values held by the entire Wheaton community. These shared ideas welcome students into the Art History major as well as immerse them into the world of art and art appreciation, through ARTHive’s valuable presence on campus.