by The Cowl Editor on October 4, 2018
Arts & Entertainment
by: Anne DeLello ’20 A&E Staff
On Friday, September 28, the Board of Programmers’ Fine Arts Committee put on its first event of the year: Paint Night. Mermaid Masterpieces, a business based in Newport, Rhode Island that throws paint parties for groups of all sizes, came to McPhail’s to instruct students in painting the Slavin lawn clock.
The objective of the Fine Arts Committee of BOP is to “present students with the opportunity to enrich their college experience through cultural events on, and off, campus…and expand their knowledge of the arts.” The committee certainly achieved this goal with Paint Night.
Painting is a skill not often used on Providence College’s campus. College students, with the exception of art majors or minors, are not usually caught filling the potential of a blank canvas with some abstract beauty. This general lack of ability made the event that much more fun to experience with friends. It brought a group of Providence College students together to get out of their comfort zone and paint, or attempt to paint, an iconic image from campus.
Not everyone is an artist, but at this party, everyone who went got to be one for the night. Becky Killian of Mermaid Masterpieces worked through the painting in simple steps, so everyone had his or her own masterpiece by the end of the night. The painting, sure to be hanging in many common rooms around campus, turned out to be the Slavin lawn clock at sunset. Outside of the common room, the painting serves as a conversation-starting piece of dorm art.
The event made for an entertaining night. The music playing, Killian’s fun attitude, and a group of people getting to do something that they would not normally get to do on a Friday night, made for a lively and refreshing event.
Killian has been doing such events for three and a half years now. Her fun personality and painting expertise made this paint night better than expected. She expressed how much she loves what she does, particularly when she gets to do events with college students. After the paintings were finished, she said, “College is stressful, and I love being able to come out and have fun with you all.”
After a long week of classes, tests, and general college business, Paint Night was exactly what this campus needed to start off the weekend. To be able to relax and do something out of the ordinary with part of the PC community is not something students get to experience enough. The Fine Arts Committee organized a memorable, fun paint party that will not be forgotten by those who attended. They have their paintings, for better or worse, to help them remember.
Max Tychsen ’20 is on the Fine Arts Committee of BOP and helped orchestrate the event. He commented, “I think Paint Night was a huge success! Everyone’s paintings of the Slavin lawn clock at sunset turned out really well and overall it was a great start to the weekend. We’re hoping to have another Paint Night event later this year!” The smiles and completed masterpieces indicate more success for future Paint Nights.