In2013 Eastern art students created a magazine that focused on the artwork of students and

professors so others can learn from them.

Now, one year and a half later, the Blue Room magazine has finished processing orders and is ready to print its fourth issue.

Jamie Olson, a senior graphic design major, said she and other students created this magazine from scratch because she wanted an advertisement on what the art department can do.

“We wanted there to be a publication to show people what our students can do,” she said. “This magazine is to show people outside of Doudna what we can do.”

The publication does not only show students and their artwork, but also provides tips and tutorials, along with advice and interviews from artists.

Olson said one magazine explained step by step on how to create a canvas.  Another had advice on different image resolution.

“Image resolution is something that helps an artist for the resumes and their future jobs,” she said.

This magazine is not only an advertisement on the student artwork she said but a student resource as well; something they can use to help them with their classes and if they are stuck on a project for class or a job.

“The advice that is shared in the magazine is to not only help the audience with their day to day activities but with their future employment in the field,” she said.

A difference between this magazine and others on campus is that there is no faculty advisor to help them along she said.

“We would love a faculty advisor but we have done well so far without one,” she said. “Each student is in control of their own sections, editing designing and everything that is talked about in the meetings.”

Olson said faculty members were skeptical at first when she and other students proposed the idea for the publication.

After they showed them that they could do it and what students were capable of, the faculty was proud of them and proud to be apart of the magazine.

“Every issue we create we try to improve,” she said. “We have a lot of meetings and everyone who is apart of the team is in charge of something,”

Eastern students are able to help, as it is not a requirement to be an art major to be a part of the magazine.

“I am graduating after this semester, so I will be giving my position to someone else but I hope that even after I am gone, the magazine will stay as a part of the art department,” she said.

The Blue Room magazine is a once a semester publication and costs $10.

Stephanie White can be reached at 581-2812 or at sewhite2@eiu.edu.