Marissa Schuler (Class of 2027)
Blogger Role: Sculpture
Major: Illustration
Minor: 3D (ceramics)
Clubs: KPS (Keystone Paranormal Society) – I do the art for their merch 🙂
I chose Marywood because when I toured the art department, I loved the amount of dedicated rooms there were and majors in art that were offered. I love to try my hand at everything (and honestly wanted to major in everything) so Marywood, with seemingly every option out there, seemed like the place to go.
I am majoring in Art because I believe I am very passionate about it. If I were to do anything else, I would be betraying myself and perhaps denying the world of a small ounce of creativity. I think the more creative people who pursue their passions and do what they are called to do, the better the world will be.
When I’m not in class, I’d like to say I’m being creative, but I’m partially lying. I have to take breaks and have some nice alone time with my kitty… but I do crochet heavily in my free time! …and do latch hook rugs and craft and all that. Lots of things. Over summers I get to do commissions as well!
So far, my favorite art class at Marywood was ceramics. 3D design taught me that I could experiment with 3D and I wasn’t “bad at it” as I’d previously thought, but ceramics taught me I could be good at 3D and sculpture after all. Illustrating and sketching had always been my greatest strength, and I think I’m still the best at controlling a pencil as opposed to anything else, but in my past two semesters, I’ve been swiftly improving (as you do when introduced to a new medium). I think that makes those two classes my absolute favorite.
The coolest thing I’ve done at Marywood so far was expand my horizons and meet new people. Making friends is normally a struggle for me, as I take my sweet time about it. I’ve officially met a lovely group of friends through the KPS (Keystone Paranormal Society) Ghost Club on campus (and on Facebook and Instagram), and have been able to design things for people! I’ve been meeting people in all my classes and slowly gathering a circle of people with similar interests, which is the lovely thing about the “community aspect” at Marywood.
When I graduate I’d like to keep doing a variety of things. I sell things on Redbubble occasionally, I’d like to keep doing crochet and fine art commissions, put things in calls for entry and art shows, and accept illustration gigs when possible. I just want to be doing things I like, which is tough to do and also stay afloat, but I’m hopeful with enough effort it can work out.
I’d recommend the Art program at Marywood because there is a great variety of options and many delightful professors who are willing to pass on their knowledge. There’s such a vast list of professions that Marywood offers, and I’ve never met an underqualified art professor. The small class sizes also help to ensure everyone can receive feedback and learn effectively. There is a lot more individualized learning than I expected I would be able to have in college, and it’s a major plus.