Kent State Entrepreneurship Majors Open Student Art Shop in Kent Student Center

Members of the Kent community can now admire and purchase student artwork as a result of the entrepreneurial efforts of three Kent State University students.

Entrepreneurship majors Sara Gans, Brittany Gorrell and Brittani Peterson launched a student art shop in the Kent Student Center, room 221 this semester. The Vault sells artwork from Kent State glassblowers, painters, potters and other crafters.

The Vault began in the entrepreneurship experience class taught by Julie Messing, Denise Easterling, and Craig Zamary, faculty members of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation.

Gans, Gorrell and Peterson wanted to display student work to showcase the various ways Kent State students express themselves.

“Kent has one of the top art and fashion schools in the country, and we wanted to give students a place to show their work,” Peterson said.

“People seem really interested in what we sell, and they love having original pieces of artwork from Kent State students,” Gans said.

The group solicited art clubs to find students to fill the shop. All work is sold on commission. The Vault accepts professional quality work and draws up contracts with artists. All student work is kept for three months. If the artwork sells, the artist receives 70 percent and The Vault keeps 30 percent.

Jacqueline Parsons, executive director of the Kent Student Center and University Dining Services, mentors the entrepreneurs. Gans said Parsons helps them with marketing and financing.

“There has been a lot of discussion about how to best promote our students and the School of Art, and joining their talents with the talents of the students in the entrepreneurship program seemed like the perfect fit,” Parsons said. “I think that KSU is absolutely supportive of our student artists, and every person whom I’ve spoken to is thrilled to have an opportunity to purchase and support student work.”

The store hours of The Vault are: 

• Monday, noon to 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m.
• Thursday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, visit The Vault’s Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/eI4x2k or call Sara Gans at 330-672-8137. To see pictures of some of the artwork on sale at The Vault, visit www.kent.edu/news/announcements/success/art-shop.cfm.

For more information about Kent State’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation, visit www.kent.edu/cebi.

# # #

Photo Caption:
The three Kent State University entrepreneurship students involved in The Vault pose with some of the items available in the store, located on the second floor of the Kent Student Center. The students are (left to right) Sara Gans, Brittany Gorrell and Brittani Peterson.

Media Contact:
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595