The energy is real.

[By Mark Alan Anderson, 2019 symposium correspondent, in Amsterdam]

Everyone is arriving, coming in by jet, by train, by foot, and by bicycle. The throng is here!

I’m standing outside Zuiderkerk, which will be a hub for our Symposium activities. It’s still more than twenty-four hours before check in and the place is alive! You can feel the energy and excitement. I decide to just hang out, sketch for a while, and enjoy the sense of camaraderie. Old friends greet one another, hug, and smile. Others, like me, give happy exclamations as we meet in person many of those sketchers we’ve only previously known online. My fellow correspondents, Orling Dominguez and Gwen Glotin, are among those I greet.

One group forms to my right. I presume it’s an impromptu sketch out: necks straining, they are all looking up at the tall architectural features, sketchbook in hand. A cheery voice calls out, “Good morning, Urban Sketchers!” A videographer in a floppy hat captures their progress, and I soon discover I’ve stumbled across the group of organizers who’ve worked so diligently to prepare this monumental event. What serendipity!

An arched doorway with a mysterious sign indicates a private event is taking place. What secrets lurk within, I wonder? We’ll all find out tomorrow!