About the Big Draw LA | The Big Draw LA

The Big Draw LA is a city-wide celebration of the act of drawing.
Let’s Draw Together!

The Big Draw LA - About

Why not get young people, artists, seniors, scientists, and teens drawing together? Ryman Arts is partnered with Los Angeles museums and other organizations to present the The Big Draw LA 2011.

Together, Los Angelenos will expand the boundaries of drawing, experimenting not only with pencils, paint, charcoal, and digital imagery, but also with sand, clay, choreographed movement—anything that makes a mark! Participation is open to all, and organizations of all sizes and kinds, from established institutions to small groups, are invited to sponsor, organize,or host an event during the month of October.

Drawing is a universal language, connecting generations, cultures, and communities. Children draw to make sense of the world before they learn to write. Yet most adults, given a pencil, claim: “I can’t draw!” The Big Draw aims to remove this barrier and create opportunities for people of all ages to discover that drawing can make us SEE, THINK, and INVENT. The Big Draw L.A. is the first event of its kind on the West Coast and is inspired by the wildly popular Big Draw in London.

The Big Draw LA is committed to promoting inclusiveness and offering a diversity of drawing experiences. Presenting organizations will register events open to the public online at www.thebigdrawla.org. Following The Big Draw L.A., presenting organizations may apply for the Drawing Inspiration Award (awarded to multiple organizations) that honors outstanding The Big Draw L.A. activities, big and small.

The Big Draw was started in the UK in 2000 by the Guild of St. George, a non-profit founded by 19th century artist, critic, and educator John Ruskin. Now led by the Campaign for Drawing in London, the aim is to raise awareness of drawing’s power as tool for learning, observation, creativity, and social and cultural engagement. The Big Draw is an annual, month-long season of drawing activities. Event organizers use drawing, painting and a multitude of other media to connect people with museum and gallery collections, urban and rural spaces—and the wider community—in new and enjoyable ways. In 2009, over 1,300 Big Draws took place across the UK and internationally. From London to Budapest to Melbourne, people of all ages came together at galleries, museums (e.g., Victoria & Albert, British Museum), heritage sites (Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace), parks (London Zoo), churches, libraries, schools, businesses (Bank of England), even the Underground, to participate in a range of drawing-related activities.

The Big Draw LA - About Ryman Arts is dedicated to working with talented, motivated youth, creating a bridge to a lifetime that expresses and appreciates the arts. Ryman Arts delivers a free, pre-professional program offering high school students rigorous, sequential instruction in the foundational skills of drawing and painting. Students participate in weekly Sunday classes with some of Los Angeles’ finest artists, field trips to cultural institutions, college and career planning, and one-on-one mentoring. Classes are held at Otis College of Art and Design. Learn more at www.rymanarts.org