With busy class schedules, social activities, assignments to complete and papers to write, students have a hard time fitting in recreational pastimes such as art or music.

But for those willing to make time for their passion, Wilkes University’s new Art Club, formed just last semester, gives students outside of the art department the chance to partake in art projects throughout the year.

“It seems so ridiculous that Wilkes didn’t have an art club before,” Sarah Hassinger, president and founder of the club, said. “I came from a school in an area, Neshaminy High School, outside of Philadelphia, where art is just such an important thing and everyone does art at least once. I was surprised they didn’t have anything here.”

Most of all, Hassinger is passionate about providing an opportunity for busy students to express their artistic capabilities.

“It just helps you think differently,” Hassinger said. “You need a club for people to be able to go that don’t have art classes to just do art.”

Hassinger, being a freshman pre-pharm major, cradles a busy academic schedule, but still finds time to start a club and host creative outlets for students.

“I took it lightly at first and I started it, and I did not realize how hard it would be,” Hassinger said. “It’s hard for one person to do, because we’re a new club.”

Sara Pisarchick, an integrated media professor at Wilkes, is the faculty adviser for the art club. Being a new club, it doesn’t have any officers other than president. Hassinger hopes to build a committed group of officers for next year and has a pool of 26 members this year to choose from.

Of those 26 members, about 10 different people come to each event. Because of the low turn-outs, events featuring an art project are held at various times instead of having weekly meetings during club hours.

The club’s last project involved lighting a candle and dripping the wax on canvas then painting on top of it, then picking the wax off when it dries.

“It doesn’t take an artist exactly, someone who’s trained, with shadow and shading and everything to do that,” Hassinger said. “It’s just fun.”

Hassinger has creative ideas for future projects, including a group statue made of recyclable materials in honor of Earth Day. Their upcoming event will feature a listening session, creating art inspired by music.

“I’m going to have a really crazy diverse playlist of music playing and we’ll paint colors that you associate with each genre of music. So each song will have a different beat, mood and tone and you’ll express it using colors and lines,” Hassinger said.

Anyone interested in joining the Art Club can email Hassinger at [email protected]u or check out the Art Club’s Facebook group here.