Artists for Change and Art Club are putting together an art festival on Sunday, Nov. 16. The event will be called the Fall Art Festival, or FAF, for those already familiar. The two clubs will work with Residential Life and invite clubs, organizations, and individuals to showcase art in the Powerhouse Stack from 3-6 p.m.
“There’s no stipulation on the kind of art. There could be writing, there could be dances — whatever you consider art,” said Bea Gigante’27, the historian of Artists for Change. The festival, according to Gigante, will be a space for all artists, especially those who may not feel incentive to attend art-related club meetings, to showcase their work and engage with the work of their peers.
The festival aims to welcome “all different disciplines, all different skill levels and abilities, who are coming together to all make unique art together, but also separately,” according to Journey Beier’28, president of Artists for Change.
Kaila Nork’26, president of Art Club, shares a similar opinion to Gigante. In a statement to The Round Table, Nork wrote: “anyone can see that there’s been a clear shift in the culture of our school, art just isn’t at the forefront of Beloit College anymore. We’ve seen it through participation dips in events like WBCRfest and Folk and Blues.”
Nork also touched on the shift of students’ event engagement, saying that students “aren’t as excited to go to events that inspire them to get their hands dirty,” and expressed their excitement for the festival. “We’re ready to reinvigorate students through creative community, regardless of their academic discipline,” she wrote.
Artists for Change is a relatively new club to campus, having been formed in the spring of 2025.
The Round Table spoke with Beier, who, along with their presidency, founded Artists for Change, on the inspiration behind the club. “This club was started as an initiative to create a better artistic community on campus and get the artists we build in this community into the political and social space,” they said.
Beier emphasized the need for community and artistic expression during a time where hope feels lost. Last spring, Artists for Change made their debut hosting a poster-making event to prepare for People’s Veto day rally. Artists for Change walked alongside students and Beloit community members to Riverside Park for the peaceful demonstration.
This semester, Artists for Change has hosted coloring events and taught students to leaf rub. As Artists for Change gears up for FAF and an ever-changing political and social climate, Beier spoke on the organization’s dedication to their members: “one thing I really do like about Artists for Change is that it’s supposed to be a very neutral social change space so it can depend on the needs of the people and the needs of society.” Instead of the club solely deciding on causes, they work with the desires of the students to organize community events.
As the festival grows nearer, more information will be released. If a club or individual should want to get involved, reach out to artclub@beloit.edu or artistsforchange@beloit.edu.
“We really want to show that the artist culture on campus is still here,” Beier continued. “I think a lot of people on campus who are recreational artists, who don’t study it [the arts], feel, in a way, like they can’t be considered artists.” Beier and FAF organizers want to change this narrative, starting with the festival.
Featured image: Instagram
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