As the weather transitions away from the winter cold, community members are once again starting to embrace springtime outdoor activities. For members of Urban Sketchers Chicago, this meant gathering for an outdoor communal drawing session on the Main-Dempster Mile.
“What keeps me motivated to do art is to come out to things like this,” participant Lisa Donofrio said.
Urban Sketchers Chicago is an all-volunteer nonprofit group focused on observational sketching. A group of artists across skill levels, ranging from instructors to amateurs, came together Saturday to sketch diverse scenes in Evanston.
The nonprofit is part of a broader movement, which began as an online forum created by illustrator Gabi Campanario. Campanario launched a blog in 2008 called Urban Sketchers for a group of artists to share their location-based artwork. It attracted the attention of artists worldwide, and the organization now operates in 549 cities across more than 70 countries.
“Everybody draws in their own style,” said Kris Van Stockum, who organized the event. “There’s no critique. People cherish the styles that they work in.”
The group organizes events where participants gather in various Chicago neighborhoods and sketch, usually for about three hours. Recent sites include the Auditorium Theatre, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and the Catalog food hall.
While events typically take place in urban settings, Urban Sketchers has started to branch out to accommodate participants from suburban areas, Van Stockum said.
April’s location, the Main-Dempster Mile, is a commercial district in southeast Evanston that boasts many local, independently owned businesses. Some sketchers captured the exteriors of local stores, while others focused on depicting the customers.
After completing their pieces, participants celebrated their work with a “throw down,” placing their finished pieces together on the ground for others to see.
“The throw down at the end is when we get together and tell each other what a great job we did,” participant Brooke Fair said. “You don’t want to miss that part because that’s the best part.”
Participants can choose to have their works put on sale at the group’s annual Sketch Show, a July exhibition where organization members can submit pieces ranging from postcards to sketchbooks.
Urban Sketchers Chicago will concurrently host its annual three-day Sketch Seminar. This event consists of sketchwalks and workshops led by 14 art instructors, some of whom will be visiting from abroad.
Bernabe Martinez, the group’s administrator, said the small-group workshops provide opportunities for participants to experiment with new techniques, media and styles.
“Sketching can be a really solitary activity, so it’s a really nice way to meet people and learn, just by being around other people,” participant Macklin Youmans said.
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