Drawing Attention Mandate Drawing Attention, the official monthly zine of the Urban Sketchers organization, communicates and promotes official USk workshops, symposiums, sketchcrawls, news and events; shares news about USk chapters; and educates readers about the practice of on-location sketching. Thanks to this month’s Drawing Attention contributors: Managing Editor: Patricia Chow Mailchimp layout: Jane Wingfield Issuu layout: Anne Taylor Social Media Designer: Suzala, Frieda Christofides Writers: Mark Anderson, Cathy Gutterman, Sophie Navas, Anne Taylor, Jane Wingfield French copy editor: Sophie Navas Spanish copy editor: Rosario Muñoz Gajardo Proofreader: Leslie Akchurin Contributors: Parka, Richard Alomar, Javier Mas Pinturas cover image: Rajesh Dhawan Subscribe to Drawing Attention. Read the September edition of Drawing Attention. Circulation: 13k+ Readership: 16k+ Web: urbansketchers.org Urban Sketchers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the art of on-location drawing. Click here to make your tax-deductible contribution via Paypal. © 2020 Urban Sketchers. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this publication, including accompanying artwork, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Urban Sketchers organization.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear USk Community, It’s great to see so many of you outside, sketching and sharing your drawings! Remember to check USk social media, USk Talks and the USk YouTube channel to keep up with what’s going on around the world. Urban sketchers are amazing! After a long and productive discussion, the USk Board has set its strategic plan for 2021-2024. I’m sure that for most urban sketchers, strategic planning may not be something for the sketchbook, but it is what provides a long-term vision for the organization, resources to accomplish educational programs and events, and opens up the world of on-location sketching to new groups. The challenges of this year have been met with the sound organizational practices of a strong and sound organization. Our commitments for the next three years are: 1. Global Communications: Make information about USk accessible and easy to
find, improve how we talk and listen to sketchers, chapters, instructors, and volunteers. 2. Diversity and Inclusion: Celebrate the USk global community’s people, regions, languages and stories, and engage people with education. 3. Structured Planning: Provide and assist in the development of a wider array of activities, events, projects, and programs. The planning process has made clear that USk is many things - it is an international organization, a grassroots movement, an educational program, a social group, a family, a group of volunteers, and a fellowship. It is organized and unbridled, cautious and risky, exuberant and restrained, dreamy and pragmatic. Let’s celebrate our variety, diversity, and contradictions, and, above all, let’s show the world one drawing at a time. Please stay safe, engaged, and sketching! Sketching together (one way or another), Richard Alomar, USk President
MANAGING EDITOR’S MESSAGE Greetings, Sketchers! In this month’s issue, we cover protest sketches around the world, meet our newest USk chapters in Castelló (also in Spanish), Chico, California; hear how sketchers have used art to help them get through tough times (also in French); and catch up with a few of the brains behind the popular USk Talks show.
My heartfelt thanks to our fabulous Drawing Attention team who have put together another wonderful issue. If you’d like to join our team, send me an email at drawingattention@urbansketchers.org! Enjoy our latest issue! Patricia Chow, Managing Editor