by JACK MELANSON, News Editor

Sanctus Artem hosted their annual art show on Sunday as students, faculty and other artists contributed to the gallery.

This year, the theme was empowerment.

“We chose empowerment because it’s more of an umbrella term. Anything can empower you,” said Ryan Askin, co-president of Sanctus Artem. “The art pieces reflect that. Those pieces are things that we found empowering and that the people who submitted found empowering to them.”

According to Sanctus Artem’s official statement, the current political climate warranted the gallery’s stated theme.

“In the age of the #metoo movement, Kavanaugh’s induction into the Supreme Court, and the rampancy of social injustices against women, minorities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, the theme of empowerment seemed all too obvious. Some of the artists selected for the show this year work in photography, painting, poetry, and even fashion, and create a collective expression of what empowerment means to the Manhattan College community…. We ask, foremost, for you to relax, enjoy, and take your time through the gallery,” the official statement said.

Not all of the artwork related a political message, however.

“Not every piece of art here displays a political message because the self-expression of art is in itself a form of empowerment,” Valentin said.

With a goal to create a new community on campus, Sanctus Artem believes they are taking steps in the right direction.

“We felt that this [artistic community] was missing on campus. Sometimes it felt weird being a writer or an artist and having nobody to talk to about it. Everyone was in their own corner,” said Valentin. “The club tries to bring those people out and create a community around it.”

  The “missing” artistic community is expansive, as well as wide-encompassing.

“We hope that we demonstrate Manhattan College’s artistic personality in art or writing. Art is everything from writing to video, instrumentals, painting …,” Valentin said. “When Sanctus Artem was founded, all art was meant to be incorporated.  Trying to put them all together creates a lasting personality on campus.”

Sanctus Artem was not alone in the creation of this year’s gallery.

“We worked with the visual performing arts department, we also worked with student engagement,” said Askin. “Shout out to the Muslim Student Association too, they helped us out a lot.”

Additionally, over 60 artists contributed to this year’s show.

Sanctus Artem can be found on Instagram and Snapchat @sanctusartem.

Editor’s Note: Joe Liggio contributed to reporting.