Paintings and photos lined the walls of the Shaw Center for the Arts on Wednesday night, and a band played music outside on the veranda while students and residents perused artwork for sale at “Art Serving Art,” a fundraiser for student organization FOCUS.
Marie Perret, FOCUS director of special projects and program chair, said FOCUS stands for “Focusing On College and Unlimited Success.”
She said most of the money goes to FOCUS’s summer program, a two-week camp for high school students from underprivileged schools.
The 220 pieces of artwork at the show included paintings, pottery, photographs and jewelry.
Perret said FOCUS members spend most of the spring semester coordinating donations with local artists and the LSU School of Art.
She said the Shaw Center waives its hourly rate for the event and FOCUS only has to pay a few small fees.
“They visit campus, stay at the residence halls and eat at the dining halls,” she said.
Perret said FOCUS members recruit students from local schools and receive recommendations from guidance counselors. Participants receive scholarships to pay their camp fees.
Matt Landrieu, education sophomore and FOCUS member, said the program accepts about 30 high school students each year.
Landrieu said he thinks the work FOCUS puts into its fundraiser shows members’ dedication to their cause.
“It’s a crucial part of showing the University and potential donors what this means to us,” he said. “It shows our commitment and how far we’re going to go.”
Mark Dochterman, Honors College student activities coordinator and FOCUS adviser, said the organization raised about $3,500 last year and he hopes to see similar results this year.
Dochterman said the Special Children’s Foundation donates a large sum to the group each year, which funds most of the summer camp.
He said the program costs FOCUS about $500 per participant.
Laura DeLatin, biological engineering sophomore and FOCUS member, said program participants take classes in art, music, theater, philosophy, creative writing and dance. Each chooses to “major” in one subject, which they take classes in for two extra hours each day.
DeLatin said she was excited by the event’s turnout and the amount of art for sale.
“There’s a lot more art this year than last, so we’ll likely raise a lot more money this time,” she said. “It will be a success.”
DeLatin said any artwork left over will be available for purchase in the French House on Thursday and Friday.
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]