ART SHOW AND SALE OFFER ARTISTS A 'REALITY CHECK'

These are some of the works Amy Kephart will be showing at the Christmas Art Show and Sale at the University Center Thursday and Friday.

When students in Amy Kephart's ceramics classes at Southeast Missouri State University held their first Christmas art show and sale last year, most of their creations had been sold three hours after the sale began.

"They were saying, Wish we'd made more," Kephart said.

This year, fiber art, prints and watercolors have been added to the ceramics offerings in the show and sale of work by both students and their professors.

The second annual Christmas Art Show and Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday in the third floor lobby at the University Center.

A watercolor class taught by Dr. Sarah Riley, chairwoman of the department of art, will contribute note cards and small paintings to the sale. Prices will range from $3.50 to $50.

The event is a "reality check" for students who spend most of their time making art for themselves and for grades, Riley says.

"It lets you know you can make money with artwork. It's a testing ground. You can see what sells and what doesn't sell."

A show and sale also can be sources of adrenaline for artists, Riley said. "It makes you more productive."

The event requires finishing works for presentation, which can be a difficult step for artists. "That's what you need to do," Riley said. "You need to develop your productive energy."

Each of the eight ceramics students has at least 20 pieces on sale. Kephart said prices will be "reasonable," $8 to $35. That is considerably less than a working artist might have to receive because the students are not paying for their materials or for maintaining the studio -- at least not directly.

Kephart herself will have 20 to 30 pieces on display and for sale.

She wants the students to have the experience of working toward and setting up for a show and sale. The students also will work at the event. "The feedback is really good," she said.

The students were gratified by how knowledgeable the shoppers were last year, Kephart said. "People knew they were using Japanese glazes and that they were using tea bowl shapes."

The sale is a good opportunity for Christmas shoppers as well, Kephart said. "How often can you give somebody something unique?"

Leslie Zahner, a senior ceramics student, participated in last year's show and is doing so again. Besides making hundreds of dollars, there was another payoff, he said. "You get to experience how selling art is."

The experience imparted more confidence in his ability to make a living as an artist, Zahner said, though he added, "It's kind of tough doing that in Cape."

Also on display and for sale will be dyed silk scarves created by the students of Pat Reagan and prints by Dr. Grant Lund's students.

All four professors also will contribute work to the show and sale.