Messy Marble Art event provides inexpensive, entertaining crafting fest at DePaul

Connor McEleney|May 20, 2019

Stephanie Punda, the assistant director of fitness and wellness, uses a wooden stick to mix around a mixture of shaving cream and colored dyes to create marble art. After you put the dye on the shaving cream and mix it, you press a sheet of paper on top and wipe off the excess shaving cream to get you own artwork.

The Ray hosted the Messy Marble Art event Friday in a room next to Brownstones. The two-hour event took place in the afternoon, and students created small marble art collages with shaving cream, paper towels, colored food dye and a popsicle stick.

Spray a paper towel sheet with shaving cream, make a square. Drip food dye on the shaving cream, take a popsicle stick, mix the dye and cream, take a blank sheet of paper, press the sheet on the cream, peel the sheet off, scrape the cream off the sheet, let the page dry. No marbles needed. Each piece looked swirly and colorful – ideal small dorm art.

Xavier Ortega / The DePaulia
Students use foam and color dyes to create marble art on Friday from 3pm to 5pm at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center in an event designed to relieve stress.

Natalie Altenburg, an EDGE student and DePaul freshman, came up with the idea.

“I worked at a summer camp for teenagers with autism and there’d be different activities they had,” she said. “This was one they had us do. I had a lot of fun doing it with them, and the art is up in my dorm room.”

At the beginning of the event, Natalie stood before the room and demonstrated the simple technique behind the craft. The process was messy, but simple. Shaving cream everywhere with only a small box of paper towels to clean messes.

Stephanie Punda, a DePaul staff member, helped set tables and art supplies beforehand. She explained the purpose of laidback craft events.

“It’s a great do-it-yourself project, but also a stress reliever because school is always hitting hard,” Punda said. “It’s just creating a new opportunity for students.”

Xavier Ortega / The DePaulia
Teagan Capek, a junior film and television major, mixes shaving cream around with colored dyes to make marble art. This stress-relieving event was organized by Campus Recreation on Friday at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center.

Small art events give students a chance to interact and stay involved without playing intramural sports or working out. In a corner room in the Ray, there were no weights or treadmills – only crafty students and a DIY art activity.

“I know people think of the Ray as just some place to work out, but we do a variety of different activities to speak to students in different ways,” said Sarah Hardin, associate director of campus recreation. “To some students, working out isn’t their thing.”

Like finding your niche at DePaul, the marble art process requires attention, deliberation and creativity. Once the dye and cream are wiped off the sheet paper, a beautiful marble design appears.