During the pandemic, WFU’s student art-buying “trip” has gone virtual

March 17, 2021

Did you know that every four years since 1963, a small group of students has traveled to New York City, with University funds, to purchase art for Wake Forest’s Student Union Art Collection? This year was different. There was a pandemic. The 2021 art-buying “trip” has become an art-buying “experience.”

The pandemic, while restricting travel, inspired some positive outcomes. More than double the number of students are participating this year, and the geographic boundary has expanded. Instead of boarding a plane for the Big Apple, 13 students virtually visited 16 galleries in six cities: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver and Detroit.

The students are charged with selecting works that reflect the times. Since the 2016 art acquisition trip, “reflecting the times” has included four years of political polarization, the pandemic and isolation, the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement, Me Too, and gender identity and queer liberation. The priority for students this year has been adding diversity to the collection – to select broad and inclusive works for the University community – both now and for years to come.

As senior business major Mikey Mattone says: “Art can create community and create a sense of belonging. And if you see people that look like you or works by people like you, it’s going to make you feel a lot more welcomed.”

You can read more about the students, their extensive research and the group’s virtual gallery visits in “Art for impact: Students purchase works for WFU to reflect the times” on the University news site.