Expensive costs of supplies strain students in IU's Fine Arts program

With the diverse pieces of art hanging on the walls or decorating the space of an art gallery, walking into one can mesmerize anyone. The beauty can capture someone, until they take one look at the price tag. Then, it might be wise to slowly and carefully walk out of the store.\nFine Arts students understand why these pieces of art cost so much. They, too, must overcome high price tags with the extra costs and time consumption that comes with the major. Working toward a degree in Studio Art is expensive. Most classes require a special fee, on top of the price of tuition. This fee can run between $25 for several art courses designed for non-majors to $125 for a photography or a sculpture course.\nBesides the extra fee for each art class, extra supplies are also required for the class.\n"Artists' supply prices go up faster than antiques," Fine Arts professor William Itter said.\nAntoinette Rodriguez, a junior majoring in Studio Art with a concentration in photography, must buy her own photo paper, film and props for her photography class.\nOne hundred sheets of black-and-white 8x10 photo paper costs about $80 per box. She said she easily went through two-and-a-half boxes for her Intermediate Photography class.\n"Your checking account is always empty, but you get used to it," Rodriguez said. \nMany incoming art students are not aware of how expensive their classes can be. Freshman Tawyna Jones, a prospective studio art major, was shocked at first to see the price of the extra supplies needed for her drawing course. \nProfessor Martha MacLeish said freshmen are usually hit the hardest because they have to buy basic supplies that can be reused in more advanced classes later on.\n"I didn't know it would be that costly until they gave me a slip of paper that told me to go buy $300 worth of supplies," Jones said. \nThough buying art supplies can be a hassle that can empty students' pockets, many art majors like to buy their own supplies because it gives them the opportunity to try different materials beyond what is suggested. \n"I like to branch out and try new things. I have tried three different kinds of paper," Rodriguez said. \nJunior Laura Valeri, a fine arts student majoring in studio art and art history, understands the frustration of having to buy expensive supplies, but said her classes get cheaper as she accumulates art utensils. \n"The upside is that you get to keep the supplies, and that can be useful for later classes," she said. \nAnd while the supplies tend to be quite costly, some students feel the price is often justified in the supplies' quality. \nHannah Smith, an employee at Pygmalion's Art Supply store, 108 N. Grant, said art supplies are expensive to buy because the materials used to create the supplies are high-quality and costly, which therefore means the retail price cannot be adjusted.\nMacLeish said art supplies at Pygmalion's can be bought at a discounted price within the first couple of weeks of classes.\n"They order everything we need for our classes, and they have competitive prices," MacLeish said.\nRodriguez encourages others to take advantage of local art supply stores.\n"They usually meet the students' needs," she said. \nAnother advantage of shopping at places like Pygmalion's is that they offer a wide variety of supplies of different qualities, Jones said.\n"If you know what you are looking for, then you can buy cheaper versions," she said. \nAnd there are some simple ways to save money. \nOne way to save some extra cash is to buy used supplies. Many times, students who took one or two classes for fun will sell their used tools at a cheaper price. Advertisements can be found posted in the Fine Arts building, selling second-hand materials. Rodriguez has different advice.\n"Conserve as much as you can so you can use it later, and buy in bulk because it is usually cheaper," she said. \nBuying in bulk is especially useful for photography students, who often go through lots of film and photo paper. Students can buy in bulk from shopping online at sites such as www.bhphotovideo.com. \nStudents often find other creative ways to get around the added expense of art classes. But what they cannot dodge is the amount of time their classes consume. Time management is an overwhelming issue for art students. \n"My first studio was kind of a shock because I was in class for three hours," Valeri said. \nBeyond the long hours of class, fine arts students spend countless hours of their own time in the studio. Preparation for staying up late during the week and coming into the studio on weekends in order to finish a project can be the key. \n"It is a hardship because a lot of students have jobs and other courses. Art takes a lot of time," Itter said.\nSo why -- after hearing about how low a fine arts student's savings account can get, and how many grueling hours they will spend in a studio -- do students take art classes?\n"If you really like what you are doing, you don't mind," Rodriguez said. "There is instant gratification because you can see the progress of your project." \n-- Contact staff writer Ashley Brown at ashbrown@indiana.edu.