Art education students’ annual ornament, print sale brings MC flair to the holidays
Art education students at Mississippi College are showcasing their skills and brightening the holidays while helping send senior classmates to a national convention through the annual Christmas ornament and print sale, Monday through Thursday, Nov. 17 to 20, in the campus cafeteria.
All proceeds from the sale of vibrant linoleum prints and ceramic ornaments will be used to fund the senior trip to the National Art Education Association’s convention. About 7,000 art teachers and future art educators attend the NAEA’s annual convention.
Elise Payne, MC assistant professor in the Department of Art and art education coordinator, said attending the convention broadens the students’ experience.
“It is an excellent opportunity for our MC students to network and learn from art educators from around the country,” Payne said. “As part of the convention, the students also get to visit world-class museums and see many famous artworks in person.
“The 2026 convention is in Chicago, so they will have the opportunity to visit the Art Institute of Chicago as well.”
Each linoleum print and ceramic ornament is handmade by the art education majors. A variety of ornaments will be available, including angels, crosses, doves, silhouettes of Mississippi, and the interlocking MC logo.
The shapes are cut from slabs of clay and bisque-fired in a kiln, glazed by hand and fired once again to acquire a glossy finish.
Students add the finishing touch by threading twine or ribbon through the decorations.
The prints are made by carving an image into a block of rubber linoleum, which is inked and printed onto paper, just like a stamp.
The project is particularly meaningful to Payne, who, as an undergraduate at MC, was in one of the first student groups to pilot the program.
“It is incredible to see how it has grown over the years,” she said. “I am particularly proud of this group of students for their dedication to making each ornament perfect and unique and all the extra time they have put into the whole process.”
This marks the fourth year that Kat Knupp, a senior from Clinton, has contributed to the sale. She plans to attend the NAEA conference in 2026.
“It's nice to connect with other people in our major, talk about our classes and art education topics,” Knupp said. “I’m looking forward to going to the National Art Education Association conference and attending some of the talks. It will be very valuable.”
Junior transfer student Amber Baugh of Clinton is participating in the project for the first time.
“The experience of selling the ornaments is really important, especially for some of us who want to sell our artwork outside of school,” said Baugh, who contributed prints and ornaments for the sale. “Getting familiar with that process is really important.”
In addition to gaining practical experience working with ceramics and linoleum, the students also learn how to use their art to promote and support their program – skills that will be useful in their future classrooms.
“This is also a great opportunity for the students to build community and bond together as art education majors,” Payne said. “Our older students who have done this many times are eager to share and teach our new students.
“It can be a tedious process, but the students make it fun for each other through their conversations about classes, life at MC, or funny stories.”
Ornaments and prints will be available for purchase from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 5 to 6:30 p.m. They may also be ordered by emailing Payne at empayne@mc.edu.
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