Inside Room 106 at Palo Alto High School, art isn’t just a decoration. It’s dialogue. As students gather around tables surrounded by numerous drawings on the walls, creativity becomes a shared language.
The Artruism Club is a blend of art and altruism that is building bridges between social awareness, emotional well-being, human connection and artistic expression.
The club focuses on two main goals: raising social awareness and creating interpersonal connections. It empowers members to think deeply about issues that matter while using art to create meaningful conversations.
Club president Charlotte Liu joined freshman year and said it was originally founded during the pandemic to raise money for those affected by COVID-19. Students offered commissions where people could pay for a piece of art, and then the money would be donated.
While the club no longer participates in that specific project, it hasn’t stopped its mission to help others through art.
“I feel like now we’re not really focused on commissions anymore,” Liu said. “But our main mission is still intact, where we’re using our art to help with and improve initiatives.”
The club’s most recent projects focus more on the school community than on the greater area.
“In collaboration with the Paly library, we had club members design bookmarks to be produced and then given out to students who checked out books,” Liu said. “I feel like it added a nice reward and a motivator that, ‘Now that you’ve checked out a book, you also have this bookmark made by another Paly student to be used while you’re reading.’”
Looking ahead, Liu said that the club is planning to collaborate with a local food bank to increase awareness of food insecurity.
“With the current administration being volatile with the SNAP benefits being cut, we’re aiming to create postcards that are motivating and cute because they’re meant to be sent to volunteers as a morale boost,” Liu said.
Lastly, Liu said that Artruism is aiming to collaborate with the Paly Wellness Center.
“We’ll be creating sticker designs that will be given to the Wellness Center to be used for Mental Health Awareness Month in May,” Liu said.
Liu shares that she has an interest in politics, but feels that she is centered on being analytical rather than emotional, which leads to her feeling distant. She joined the Artruism club to help ground herself.
“Art is naturally individualistic and unique to you,” Liu said. “It’s similar to activism because it’s personal, which resonates with people, and I feel like art is a great medium for that.”
Liu said that while the club is focused on art, it isn’t just limited to artists. Since a major focus of the club is volunteering, it is open to everyone.
“Naturally, this club attracts artists, but there’s no barrier of ‘you need to be this good to join,’” Liu said. “Part of this club is also volunteering, so it’s good if you want to contribute to a good cause.”