SIPS of success: Art club offers community, professional development

The Student Illustration Production Squad was founded in fall 2022 to offer members a creative space to pursue art. The club is open to art students and non-artists alike. Photo courtesy of Serena Logan

If you’re a student at Long Beach State, chances are you’ve seen Michi the shapeshifting cat somewhere on campus, whether on a flyer or at an event.

Yet, Michi isn’t a real cat; they’re the two-dimensional mascot of the Student Illustration Production Squad. 

Founded in fall 2022, SIPS has become a collaborative organization spanning multiple art disciplines.

Their mission? To help members understand their worth as artists and gain experience before they graduate and enter the workforce. 

Through hands-on collaborative projects, SIPS produces zines, badges, stickers and fun events every semester to gear up for future work environments. 

This year’s club president is marketing analysis graduate student Serena Logan.

“We are a club on campus that offers our services to people of all majors and years … regardless of your experience, as long as you have a passion for the arts,” Logan said.

Graduate student Serena Logan is the president of the Student Illustration Production Squad. The club meets every Monday from noon to 12:45 p.m. Rehansa Kulatilleke | Long Beach Current

SIPS offers members a creative space to pursue art, whether they are interested in illustration or professional development skills.

The club hosts a variety of events geared toward developing art students, from professional development and networking to copywriting in the arts, sketch crawls and special guest speakers.

SIPS meets every Monday from noon to 12:45 p.m. in LA4-Room 307, where you’ll be sure to see the cute, shapeshifting black cat Michi.

“We set you guys up with professional development skills to feel more confident upon graduating and afterwards to find jobs and to collaborate with team members,” Logan said.

One of the club’s biggest events this semester was the Scair Fair, which took place in late October. The event, a joint project with the Society of Student Illustrators and Animators, showcased student art vendors, some of whom took a spooky approach. 

SIPS also fosters self-promotional items and zines created each semester, with a recent issue titled “Alternative Futures.”

SIPS previously hosted an event at the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum on Oct. 30, inviting members for an afternoon of spooky face painting and games outside the art gallery. 

Logan’s plans for the future of SIPS include creating more fun, engaging events, like another Scair Fair in spring 2026. 

“I enjoy the home that Student Illustration Production Squad has brought to me and my friends while creating illustrative art together,” third-year cinematic arts student Jordan Syllegie said.