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What is ArtHouse?
ArtHouse is a creative club for people of all skill levels to explore different mediums of art such as clay, metalcrafts, and stamping/printing without the pressure of a professional organization.
As one of its presidents and founders, artist Sonya Pandya shares more about the club, art, and what they mean to her.
It was an idea that two of my friends brought to me in the middle of our sophomore year, and I was on board as soon as they mentioned it being an art club. I have always loved art, and so this felt like a perfect opportunity for us to spread our love for art with others. Our school didn’t have a generally art-focused club before, only more niche art clubs. And it had the National Art Honors Society, which was a prestigious organization which could be entered by invitation only, and invitation was only granted if one took an art class. We felt that this was restrictive for those who either had art as a small hobby or didn’t have enough space in their schedule for an art class. That’s why ArtHouse was made—to be more accessible for those who aren’t looking at art professionally.
What inspired you to start ArtHouse?
What makes ArtHouse different from National Art Honors Society?
Like I mentioned, NAHS members are granted entry through invitation only, and it is a prestigious organization that requires several hours of art-related service. Only students who take an art class can join. ArtHouse differs from this as it’s a club open to everyone, with no hour or service requirement to fill. The atmosphere is different in the types of crafts we do, and the pressure to do well isn’t as imminent. Anyone can fail, but still be supported by those who are also still learning.
Can you speak a little more about your team members?
They’re some of my closest friends, and I couldn’t imagine this club without them. Us being a tight-knit group helps, as we can comfortably discuss issues or changes together. We often do art together, and I think it's great that we got the opportunity to share our love for collaboration with others.
Let’s talk about your creative presence outside of ArtHouse.
You’re also a member of NAHS. What do you do there?
What are your favorite mediums?
I was invited through my ceramics course in my sophomore year, but NAHS focuses on every avenue of art. We have around 2 meetings a month, and we complete activities more school-focused than anything else. We often create gifts for staff at our school, such as Valentine’s Day cards or small art for Free Art Fridays. We also have to complete 20 service hours by May, and this is completed by attending art-focused events around our city as well as in the classroom. A large chunk of my hours came from helping underclassmen and organizing the art rooms.
Generally, I gravitated to drawing, as I never knew the other mediums. As I grew, I realized my love for graphic design and photography, and those hold true as my favorites today. I’ve been designing graphics for 6 years, and it started as a small hobby, but became so much more. I went from making small “edits” of my favorite celebrities to designing 10+ presentations as well as my own clothing brand. I take photos for my school’s newspaper, and take a photography class, and I have never enjoyed an experience as much as I’ve enjoyed those.
What do you do in photography?
In the class itself, we focus on traditional pinhole photography, using developing methods and such. As a photographer for the school’s newspaper, I often take photos for sports events as well as important school events such as musicals, or International Night. I’ve taken over 300 photos for the publication, and have worked on several official galleries for our website as well.
What exactly does art mean to you in your life?
It’s something that comes to me in specific moments. I’m not always good at it, but when I’m motivated, I can create great stuff! I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I’m often unsatisfied with the finished product, but it definitely feels good to have completed something. I love being involved in art-related activities, such as decorating our school for Homecoming, and it brings me joy to work with others and see large-scale products.
What place do you think it holds in Northview specifically?
I feel it’s often looked over or even down upon as Northview is so academic-focused, and it’s not considered rigorous enough for a college application. But I think that shows why it is important, as it allows for students to get a break from the rigor and do what they love. The art teachers are amazing and give so much support to their students as well as allow them to expand their creativity through drawing/painting, ceramics, photography, jewelry/metal crafting, and more.
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