Jam the Cube, a silent auction event, is featuring student and faculty artwork this week to raise money for the Art Guild in the Fine Arts Center.

Amy Wetsch, Art Guild president and Bardstown senior, said there are 303 pieces of artwork on sale for Jam the Cube. Wetsch said these submissions come from the students in the art department, Art Guild members and art department faculty.

Wetsch said Jam the Cube allows student artists to show their work, make some extra money and prepare for the process of submitting work in exhibitions.

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“It’s just exciting for artists to be able to show their work and … get it out there and have people appreciate it,” Wetsch said.

Brent Oglesbee, the head of the department of art, said this is the second year the Art Guild has hosted Jam the Cube.

Oglesbee said the organization successfully tried the silent auction last year, and this year’s guild members have been more engaged. He said they have gotten a head start with hosting the auction so people can pick up artwork before the holiday season.

Oglesbee said people who wish to bid in the silent auction need to fill out the form that corresponds to the desired work of art. A minimum bid is set for each piece, and each bidder needs to enter an amount larger than the previous bidder’s. Whoever has the highest bid at the end of the week will collect the work.

Oglesbee said 25 percent of the sales from students’ artwork goes to the Art Guild, and the remaining 75 percent goes directly to the student artist. For faculty members’ artwork, 100 percent of the profit will go to the Art Guild, according to Oglesbee.

Wetsch said many efforts went into setting up the auction event. Obtaining artists’ information, coordinating with people to pick up pieces and returning unsold artwork to artists all make up activities behind Jam the Cube.

Oglesbee agreed with Wetsch that Jam the Cube is intended to give the students practice in presenting their artwork.

 “Typically they have to write an artist statement, and then there’s lighting the work and fixing up the gallery so that they experience what most artists will have to do when they’re in an actual professional setting,” Oglesbee said.

Wetsch said the Art Guild uses the money from the auction to help fund its benefit activities. Last year, Wetsch said, the guild traveled to St. Louis with the money it raised from Jam the Cube and its spring extravaganza.

“This is basically one of the biggest fundraisers we do all year,” Wetsch said.

Wetsch herself has 10 pieces in Jam the Cube. She said the pieces range from her freshman year to her senior year. Wetsch added that in art school, students constantly create new pieces, so they end up with a wide variety of artwork.

“I have so much art that it’s just nice to possibly make extra cash from this and help the Art Guild out,” Wetsch said.

In addition to Jam the Cube’s monetary aid to the guild and to student artists, Wetsch said it also encourages those who are presenting work for the first time.

“I think it’s exciting when they see everyone in the cube, and people point out their work and others’ and say how incredible it looks, and I think it’s a confidence booster for sure,” Wetsch said.

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Jam the Cube is held in the Fine Arts Center’s Cube Gallery in room 436. The auction ends on Nov. 13.