University Star

Duy Le, Staff Photographer

A group of Texas State students issued a call for help Friday night, selling art as a means to save their studio space.

210 Studio opened this summer as a place for local artists to make and show art. The Save Our Space benefit show raised more than $1,200 to keep the tradition going at a new location.

Kasey Short, alumnus, and Derrick Durham, lecturer in the School of Art and Design, started small with goals to grow.

“We were in an old resale shop by Tantra, and (Derrick) and I decided to make some art,” Short said. “He thought we could have a show once a week.”

Durham and Short were eventually able to lease a new space, creating 210 Studio on W. San Antonio Street. Natalie Moore, studio art senior, and Lucas Conrad, communication design junior, were two of the artists who participated.

“I am really trying to focus on community within the Texas State art department,” Conrad said. “Since this was a great opportunity to have that, I just dove right in.”

Moore said she was not involved with the project during the summer because of an internship. The studio was fully operational when she arrived back in San Marcos.

“Derrick was ready to turn it over to the students completely,” Moore said. “So it really worked out.”

The end of the month will mark the closing of 210 Studio.

The gallery was originally a way for artists to earn money for work. The money raised Friday night will be used to find a new location to showcase art made by students and residents alike.

Moore said the group intends to create a moveable space to avoid leasing 

problems in the future.

“The way it stays alive is by new members signing on and helping out,” Moore said. “When people move away, that’s OK, because there is gonna be a new fresh group of individuals that keep it going.” 

The group hopes to start a project in spring 2011 called Smart Box. The project will allow professionals throughout Texas to curate a show. An invited guest will serve as juror and give a lecture, Moore said.

“Those will be donation based events, so they’ll be free,” Moore said. “The extra income that we receive will be used to give free art lessons to kids during the week.”

Conrad and Moore said students are passionate about the project.

“What I have been feeling lately is that our department is really divided, and there’s not a real sense of community,” Conrad said. “But I want people to know that, hopefully, with this student run gallery, a community can form and really push us as individual artists.”

Short agrees.

“It’s all about the people,” Short said. “We are just trying to expose art to the community and show everybody the creative minds that are working all around us.”