New Samo art clubs paint fresh canvases of creativity
New art clubs across Samo aspire to support student artists of all skill sets and create communities that foster artistic expression and imagination. Collage Club, Crochet for a Cause Club and Zine Club provide a space for students to relax and express themselves.
Collage Club, held every last Tuesday of the month in Discovery 315, is run by co-presidents Deva Bardach (’26) and Kaitlyn Eggers (’26). With the creation of Collage Club Bardach and Eggars wanted to give Samo students a space to unwind at lunch by taking their minds off the stress of school through art.
Bardach began collaging at a young age, but she only recently rediscovered her love for it and wanted to share her passion with others.
“I love putting different things together and I feel like collage is the perfect thing for that because you can take a photo, and add it with a little bit of your art and you create your own thing with other things you didn’t create,” Bardach said.
Collage Club provides its members with all the magazines, photos and materials they need to create their own artwork. At each meeting, students are able to simply relax and add a little more to their collages in the peaceful environment Bardach and Eggars have created.
Crochet for a Cause Club, led by president Flora Gunn ('25) and vice president Aili Forster ('25), is held every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month in Innovation 306. At Crochet for a Cause Club, no prior experience is needed. Students will learn how to crochet items like hats, gloves and scarves with step-by-step tutorials. The club will provide hooks and yarn that members can take home to use to work on projects, as well as videos and diagrams to learn how to crochet.
Art by Kayman Mangan
The beanies made in the club will be donated at the end of this semester to drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers around Santa Monica. Gunn strived to create a club that can help provide extra comfort to people in need during difficult times.
“I have a passion for mental health and mental health resources, and I think it’s especially important to try to bring light to people's days. Also at the end of the semester, it’s nice [to donate these beanies] because of Christmas and the Holidays,” Gunn said.
Zine Club, held in Exploration 261 every Thursday, is led by co-presidents Kayman Mangan (’25) and Ramona Gutierrez (’26). Zine Club will provide students with time to work on creating zines that combine art, drawings, poems, collages, informative information, and whatever more members want to add to them. At the end of the semester, all the zines will be scanned and compiled into one book to sell or distribute them.
Gutierrez seeks to bring values of inclusion, equity and creativity to her club, and see these in the people she surrounds herself with, including her co-president.
“I was inspired by Kayman, she is extremely creative and makes the most amazing art and zines. I thought a club where everyone makes art, listens to music and chats would be really fun and would be a safe space for people,” Gutierrez said.
Zine Club aims to give students a space to let their creativity and originality flourish in an art form where people can express their thoughts and feelings, spread information, and communicate with others. Gutierrez and Mangan provide members with everything they need to make their very own zines such as markers, magazines, stickers and much more.
Collage Club, Crochet for a Cause Club and Zine Club are a few of the many art clubs at Samo which offer students of all levels support and community through artistic creation.