Professors from the art department are introducing the first Draw-a-thon, a 12-hour marathon of artistic expression and execution.
From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, the Draw-a-thon will combine a plethora of projects for a day of creativity and community.
“It’s an art experience,” says adjunct assistant painting professor Therese Pfeifer, who helped plan the event. “It’s not about creating masterpieces, it’s about putting down a mark and encouraging experimentation and using unorthodox tools.”
Assistant teaching professor Alexis Callender suggested instating the Draw-a-thon at MU, modeling the marathon after a similar event she experienced while attending Connecticut College as an undergraduate.
“We knew we wanted to have a drawing event that was a community-based event for all of the art students but also invited the wider campus community to the art building,” Callender says. “And then we wanted to make sure it had an interdisciplinary component, so we invited faculty and graduate students to talk about things that they might be interested in doing, so it kind of developed from there.”
Callender says the Draw-a-thon is about showing the connection that drawing has to all of art media and creating artistic community.
“We want to build community within the department, between students who maybe don’t know each other, between students and faculty, and also between the public so that they can see what’s going on inside the art department,” says adjunct assistant professor Catherine Armbrust, a contributing member of Draw-a-thon preparations.
Throughout the day there will be various projects, including traditional still lifes, printmaking and working with fibers.
Though the Draw-a-thon will be executed by the art department, the professors in charge of the event say anyone is welcome to attend.
“It’s for everyone,” adjunct assistant professor Eric Sweet says. “Just coming and learning how to express yourself through art making or something. That is really what the goal of it is and so it’s open to anyone who wants to come in and explore some means of expression.”
Callender says she would like to make the Draw-a-thon annual or once a semester.
“We would like to open this up as we kind of create a place for it in the community,” Callender says. “Open it up in the larger sense, and have it be something people can engage with on an annual basis.”
The Draw-a-thon will be held throughout the first and second floor of the art building.
“What we’re trying to accomplish is to get students involved and create more of a community here by providing an activity that’s not an academic activity,” Sweet says. “They can take the different things they’re interested in and apply them to something beyond the classroom.”
