On Saturday, March 25, Ms. Erin Davey hosted Snacks and Easel, a weekend activity during which students gather in the art room to paint and enjoy refreshments in a casual setting.

Davey’s Snacks and Easel has been a large success, shown by the students’ positive feedback and the amount of students who attended.

“The first time we did it we had about 20 painters and the second time almost 50! I couldn’t believe it. It was so fun to walk into a completely packed studio!” Davey said.

Davey told The Willistonian she got the idea for Snacks and Easel from noticing restaurants, studios, and boutiques that invite adults to spend time with their friends and partners to “paint and eat cheese and crackers.”

Davey called the event a great “date night” option and noted that students can take home their finished product at the end.

Art teacher Mr. Roe, Davey said, is “an amazing resource;” he paints a sample painting for each event and leaves instructions for the guest artists.

Davey’s favorite part was seeing kids from completely different social circles come together in one room to paint and relax. Other students also raved about how fun and enjoyable the activity was.

“It was really fun to do a creative activity while spending time with my friends,” said junior Madison Fulcher-Melendy. “For my first painting I copied the example one. It was of a desert at sunset. For my second one I painted a scene of an ocean. I really liked that [Snacks and Easel] gave me the opportunity to do something that I cannot do on a regular basis.”

Sophomore Campbell Nyrady said her favorite part of Snacks and Easel was “being able to hang with my friends and have time to chill.”

Senior Destiny Nwafor cited the informal, relaxed nature as a major pull for her.

“You don’t feel pressure to paint anything nice,” she said. “It’s just for you, just for fun, and you get to relax.”

This activity is new this year, but already Davey has her sights on offering Snacks and Easel once a trimester next year.