Dickinson’s Spring 2023 Arts Festival occurred, after a rain check, on Sunday, April 16 on the Academic Quad. There were plenty of student-run booths showing off and selling their wares. The warm day made for a pleasant atmosphere, coupled with music and performances from several of Dickinson’s student bands, singing groups, dance groups and Shakespeare Club.

It was wonderful to see and hear all the expressions of student art, with items including, but not limited to, prints, paintings, fiber arts, jewelry, pottery and stickers. Both individual student artists and student art groups had work to sell. Several booths, including fiber arts club Stitch It Up, sold adorable knit and crochet critters. Sarah Hirsch ’26, also known as campus’ very own Crochet Girl, ran the Bee Kind Project, where she gave out surprise crocheted bees in exchange for a $5 donation to the Crisis Text Line, an organization she volunteers for.

Student artwork for sale included stunning digital and analog prints and paintings. Jo van Kuilenberg ’23 sold these along with featured pins, and promoted his performance “Power of the Circus,” which you can go see on April 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Denny 317. The performance will explore the historical relationship between Cumberland County and the circus. 

Miranda Sipe ’26, who shares her digital art online, hopes that she will be able to sell more physical copies of her work in the future and viewed Arts Fest as a jumping off point to get started. Her art, which she does all on her iPad, features various, well-rendered fictional characters from media such as “Hannibal” and “The Last of Us.”

Mbhali Edwards ’25, who sold a variety of beautiful artwork, commented on the pros and cons of being a student artist at Dickinson. The college doesn’t emphasize its art program to prospective or current students. However, she thinks that having an Art Fair is a good opportunity for artists to get outreach that they don’t otherwise have by the college, and platform the art and creativity of local artists.

It was really a wonderful festival, with plenty to see and buy. Art is such an important thing to share and support, especially among student artists.