Drawing Attention > A World of Sketching News

Urban Sketchers Gains U.S. Nonprofit Status

Last month Urban Sketchers became a United States 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. One of the things this means is that all U.S. donations are now tax-deductible. Consider making a donation today to help us continue to “Show the World, One Drawing at a Time.”

USk Lisbon Symposium – It’s Not Too Late to Register

Just 60 days left til the II Urban Sketching Symposium starts on July 21. Thanks to the great response to the symposium, registration is now more than two thirds full with people coming from 20 different countries spanning the globe—from Brazil to Canada to Australia to China—as well as many countries in Europe. There is still time to register to secure your spot in the more than 45 workshops available, but register early before the workshops and symposium fill up.

Read participants’ introductions and learn more about the event on the symposium blog.

And thanks to our great sponsors providing materials for participants! Moleskine will provide a choice of customized Japanese Fold or Large Watercolor sketchbook. Stillman & Birn will provide a customized Gamma Series Heavy Weight Paper 5.5″ x 8.5″ hardbound sketchbook and Canson will provide a 5.5″x 8.5″ hardbound sketchbook and an Assorted Drawing pad. For sponsorship opportunities, contact us at symposium at urbansketchers dot org.

Other Sketching Events Around the World

“Traveling with a Sketchbook” workshops in Tuscany

USk correspondent Simonetta Capecchi, along with her friends Wolfgang Storch and Klaudia Ruschkowski, german dramaturgs and curators of cultural events, will conduct the workshops over 2 long weekends (June 1-5 and September 7-11) at the villa Le Guadalupe space for the arts in Volterra, Italy.

Dalvero/USk Seattle Workshop — Date Change

The Dalvero/USk Seattle Workshop dates have been changed. The new workshop dates will be Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26. Organizers apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please email Veronica Lawlor and Margaret Hurst at dalveroinfo(at)Mac.com for more information and to register.

New USk blogs

Urban Sketchers Portugal is growing! They just started a second blog specifically for the region of Beiras. A local TV station covered their meet-up in Castelo Branco where they decided to create the second blog (video link).

Urban Sketchers Basel is born. According to USk correspondent Rob Carey, “Our intention is to showcase the beautiful city of Basel, Switzerland through on-location sketches and to perpetuate an interest in urban sketching amongst professional and amateur artists in the region. In the future we would like to schedule Basel sketchcrawls where sketchers could meet together and share their love of outdoor sketching. Basel is a city rich in history and known for its museums and art.”

Sketchers in the News & Galleries

English artist and USk correspondent Caroline Johnson has a solo exhibition starting May 28 at the See Gallery, Crawshawbooth, Lancashire, England. She’ll be showing her urban paintings and drawings, as well as interiors and portraits, along with her sketchbooks (the earliest of which dates from 1952)! A private view will be held on Friday, May 27, 4pm to 7pm and any sketchers in the area are invited to attend.

USk correspondent Omar Jaramillo may live in Abu Dhabi but he became a minor celebrity recently when the press caught up with him sketching around Newfoundland. First in The Telegram in St. John’s, next an interview in The Independent.com online newspaper, and finally a radio interview on CBC Radio —all focused on his location drawing and Urban Sketchers!

Spanish USk correspondent Álvaro Carnicero’s drawings of Holy Week were the subject of an article in the Sunday edition of the newspaper, El Día de Córdoba. The article emphasized the urban character which is part of Córdoba’s Holy Week.

Two articles with a portrait of USk member Manfred Schloesser and the Urban Sketchers were published recently in the Weser Kurier in Bremen, Germany ,

And to wrap up, we loved this story that Suhita Shirodkar (Goa, India) shared with us. It sums up what we all like about Urban Sketchers. “I found and joined Urban Sketchers about a year ago, and what a difference it’s made to my outlook about the opportunities to draw! I used to feel like I had to go someplace to draw— a class or a faraway location. Now I draw everywhere!”

Have urban sketching news to share in Drawing Attention? Send fully written items with links (and graphics, if possible) to drawing attention at urbansketchers dot org.

Happy sketching,
Lisbeth Cort, member of the Whidbey Island Sketchers