Making Art Happen | Video

Jenny Castro | 10/4/2012

It`s all hands on and do-it-yourself at the Minot State annual art event, Notstock. The event continues to expand, featuring award-winning and professional artists and attracting more and more students.

Art can be intimidating if you`re inexperienced, but that doesn`t seem to be a factor at the Notstock art event, where the main mission is to make art happen.

"Writing a poem or using materials or processes that you don`t ordinarily use to screen print and leave with a poster is super special for a lot of folks that don`t have that type of access,” said Bill Harbort, art professor and co-organizer.

Screen printing has been a well-known activity at Nockstock, where you have a flat item like a tshirt or pillow case and make your own design.

"Screen printing is a really unique art form in that it is really hands on and it`s easy to do and it`s I think a lot of fun, it`s a physical art form,” said guest artist, Peet Fetsch.

High school students have also been able to join in the action. And for the art enthusists, there aren’t very many opportunities in the area like this to work right next to professional artists.

"It’s very inspirational that’s for sure, it gives me a lot of hope for my own work and my own future,” said high school senior, Hanna Pawell.

"Having grown up in a small town myself and not really being exposed to this kind of stuff, it`s great,” said Fetsch.

The growing popularity of the event is mostly credited to the uniqueness of the event, the participation factor, a tone that was set the first year.

"We realized very quick that people do want to try stuff, they do want to get their hands a little dirty and make some art or play some music and that became the skeleton of the event and still remains so,” said Harbort.

With art displays, poetry, music, and even theatre, most students passing by had a hard time not participating.

Notstock continues Friday and Saturday, and it`s a free event that`s also open to the public. For a complete list of the events go to the website www.msunotstock.org.

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