Texas Christian University ceramic major Jack Hein began working on sculpture and three-dimensional art when he was at O.D. Wyatt High School. He and his twin brother Jason Thing, also a junior ceramic major at TCU, sold their art on April 23 at ArtsGoggle on Magnolia Avenue.
“I started with two-dimensional art-like drawing, but not, like, three-dimensional sculptures. But, I tried it in high school. I just love it,” Hein said. “I knew that I could draw since I was young, but I didn’t know I could do this.”
Ofuchi Akpom, 20, sells their art at ArtsGoggle. Akpom, a junior at Texas Christian University, set their art up at 8 a.m. April 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Art pieces by Ofuchi Akpom, 20, on display on April 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto) 
Texas Christian University students sell their artwork on April 23 at ArtsGoggle. The nine students are a part of an art club, Art Org. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Biographies of Texas Christian University students are on display at their ArtsGoggle booth. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Art by Texas Christian University junior Sarah Smith is on display. Smith uses skeletons in her art — she avoids dark tones in her artwork, she said. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A cake sculpture is on display at ArtsGoggle. The piece was created by first-year Texas Christian University student Kaylee Meyer, 19. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
First-year Texas Christian University student and artist Kaylee Meyer, 19, created a cake sculpture when she was working on theater props. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A customer views art work by Texas Christian University students on April 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
People walk by Texas Christian University Art Org’s tent on April 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Texas Christian University student Jack Hein talks to customers at ArtsGoggle. Hein, a junior ceramics major, began working on ceramic art in high school after having only worked on two-dimensional art. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A ceramic art piece is for sale on April 23 at ArtsGoggle. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Twins Jack Hein and Jason Thing sell ceramic art on April 23. The brothers both study ceramics at Texas Christian University and follow traditional Japanese and Chinese art styles while also experimenting with more contemporary, abstract styles, Hein said. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
A ceramic pizza sits on the ground at ArtsGoggle on April 23. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Jack Hein, a junior ceramic major at Texas Christian University, poses with his art. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
Hein and his brother are both a part of TCU’s Art Org, a club for creative students. The club had their own tent which featured 10 students and their art pieces at ArtsGoggle.
The students arrived at 8 a.m. April 23 on Magnolia Avenue to set up their tents — they left at 10 p.m. The club managed to sell $4,787 worth of art, but for Hein and others, selling wasn’t the only objective, although he sold the majority of 100 pieces he brought.
“I’ve never done this kind of sales rather than galleries. So, I kind of want to try this,” Hein said. “There’s a lot of artists and I want to see things, too, because of the alignment of my nice ideas and what they’re doing, rather than just selling.”
Ofuchi Akpom, 20, a TCU computer science and Spanish double major, sold prints at ArtsGoggle, too.
Akpom didn’t think anyone would take any interest in the artwork but was surprised to see people gave their artwork a meaning of its own.
“These roommates came by and they picked this one piece. And I was like, ‘Why did you pick it?’ And they’re like, ‘Oh, we call it 100 stars,’” Akpom said. “They put their narrative to make me feel like, ‘Damn, like this means that, yeah.’ Then, my professor’s kid came up and she said the stars looked like chips.”
Akpom overcame the fear of putting artwork in front of people.
“Usually when I’m scared about something, I should do it because it’s just me holding myself back,” Akpom said.
Art Org’s president Jazmin Gonzalez, a 22-year-old art education major, felt excited to be able to showcase the club’s art on such a big stage.
“I was a little anxiety ridden at first, because I wanted to make sure they’re successful but now it’s just, like, awesome,” Gonzalez said. “It’ll be something to celebrate for all of us because it’s one thing to be an artist and to express yourself but it’s another to actually feel a sense of validation.”
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.