The Shark Cage, located in Mako Hall, is home to many of NSU’s student-run businesses, including Sharky Art, a student business run by Annabel Brewster, a junior art and design major at NSU and the president of the Razor’s Edge Shark Cage Program. Her business aims to engage individuals and bring her passion for art to NSU’s community.
Brewster started Sharky Art this fall after being inspired by the success of her personal artwork business, which she has operated for the past five years.
“I’ve had my own artwork business for five years now that I have been operating since high school. I do custom paintings, large murals and other large scale [projects]. It originated in Fort Myers, Fla., so I wanted to bring that to NSU, but put a different twist to it,” Brewster said.
Through Sharky Art, Brewster creates custom paintings and hosts paint and sip events for NSU departments, student groups and organizations. Attendees have the option to receive prepackaged supplies or to buy and bring their own and are given different options for what they want to paint. Brewster explained that she has had to adapt her business to fit a virtual setting because of the pandemic.
“It’s been a little difficult with COVID-19, but I have actually made it to where it’s fully online now if [groups] decide to do so,” she said.
Brewster hopes to spread her passion for art to individuals within the NSU community who might not otherwise pick up paint and a paintbrush.
“If people take away something that they really enjoy from it, that makes me really happy,” she said.
Brewster also explained that operating her on-campus business had helped her to develop as an entrepreneur.
She said, “It has taught me how to be more well-rounded as a business person and cater to different people. I don’t think I would have gotten this experience if I was doing the same thing at another school. I feel like this is a very unique opportunity that NSU and the Razors Edge program provides for us to open up our own on campus business.”
Sharky Art is open in the Shark Cage facility attached to Mako Hall on Tuesdays from 1-6 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 12-4 p.m. Be sure to stop by and check out her artwork and to learn more about how you can plan a session for your group.
Groups or individuals who are interested in setting up a paint and sip event with Sharky Art can contact Brewster at ab3363@mynsu.nova.edu or connect on her Instagram page @nsusharkyart.
