2009
Fourth-annual Draw-a-thon begins Saturday morning and continues for 24 hours
By Doug MacCash, The Times-Picayune
November 19, 2009, 4:26PM
Drawing with light at the 2008 DRAW-A-THON
Draw till you drop: The fourth annual DRAW-A-THON, a 24-hour celebration of art’s most fundamental medium, begins Saturday at 6:30 a.m. at the Green Room, above the The Green Project at 2831 Marais St. in Faubourg Marigny. Round-the-clock drawing-oriented activities for adults and children include:
The "Drawing Room," a paper-coated studio where drawing on the walls, floor and ceiling is encouraged.
"Drawing on Film," handpainted movie-making with Courtney Egan and Kourtney Keller.
Speed gesture drawing with "Drill Sergeant" Gary Oaks.
"Micro-Comix," miniature comic book drawing with Caesar Meadows.
"Electro-Sonic Painting," interactive performance with Marcus Brown and Nathan Weidenhaft. See a video of "Electro-Sonic" painting here.
"Drawing With a Sewing Machine," with Gina Phillips.
"The Amazing Draw-A-Tron 3000," an "automated" drawing machine designed by Jeff Becker.
"Marion-ette," a midnight aerialist model.
"Flop House Drawing," costumed models from midnight to 2 a.m.
"Blindfolded Drawing," by Steve Reynolds from 2 to 4 a.m.
Other workshops and projects will be directed by Ron Bechet, Brad Benischek, Kenneth Harrison, Malcolm McClay, Laura Richens, Megan Roniger, Robin Atkinson and Elizabeth Underwood.
The DRAW-A-THON ends with a pancake breakfast "performance" by Amanda Cassingham Sunday at 6:30 a.m.
DRAW-A-THON is free. For a full schedule, visit www.press-street.com or call 504.250.7975.
The Drawing Room, 2008.
See a video of DRAW-A-THON 2007 here.
Arts writer Doug MacCash can be reached at dmaccash@timespicayune.com
2008
Grab a pad and head on over to the Draw-a-thon in Faubourg Marigny
By Maria C Montoya
November 21, 2008, 2:00AM
Drawing all day long
The third annual Draw-a-thon, a 24-hour art-making marathon, takes place from Saturday at 6:30 a.m. to Sunday at 6:30 a.m. at The Green Project in Faubourg Marigny.
Highlights of this year's Draw-a-thon include the "Amazing Draw-o-tron 3000," a curious machine that draws any and all requests. Workshops run throughout the day, with New Orleans Center for Creative Arts/Riverfront students and faculty, Times-Picayune illustrator Kenneth Harrison, and Gary Shiflett of Recycle 4 the Arts, who will host the game show "Win, Lose or Draw" at 8 p.m.
Free, including free art supplies for participants. Coffee and Hubig's pies will be provided, with other concessions sold. The Green Project is at 2831 Marais St., at the corner of Press Street. Call 504.250.7975, e-mail noladrawathon@gmail.com or visit www.press-street.com.
Writing to end violence
Hot 8 Brass Band drummer and high school band teacher Dinerral Shavers dreamed of bringing music to all children. After he was murdered in December 2006, his friends, family and students created The Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund. This year, the fund will hold its first essay contest on the topic: "How does crime in New Orleans affect your life? If given the opportunity to stop the violence, what would you do?"
Essays must be typed and submitted by Dec. 28. Three prizes will be awarded: $500 (first prize), $250 (second prize) and $100 (third prize). Mail essays to The Dinerral Shavers Educational Fund, 2700 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 70117. The contest is open to students who live and attend high school in New Orleans. For information, e-mail Speakup@silenceisviolence.org or visit www.dinerraljshavers.org.
Turkey day puppets
The Porta Puppet Players return to the Rivertown Children's Castle on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. with "The Mayflower Story," which tells the story of the pilgrims' landing in what we now know as America.
Tickets $5 (bring two nonperishable food items for the Kenner Food Bank and receive a $1 discount). Rivertown Children's Castle is at 501 Williams Blvd. in Kenner. Call 504.468.7231.
Learn about photography
Children ages 9 to 12 can register now for a National World War II Museum photography workshop, being held in conjunction with the exhibit, "Lives Remembered: Photographs of a Small Town in Poland, 1897-1939." Participants receive a guided tour of the exhibit and learn the basics of photography.
The workshop will be Nov. 29, 10 a.m. to noon, at 945 Magazine St. To register, call 504.527.6012, ext. 229.
Maria Montoya can be reached at mmontoya@timesicayune.com or at 504.826.3446.
2007
24-hour Draw-a-thon has activities for kids of all ages, but the werewolves really come out after midnight
By Doug McCash
November 16, 2007, 12:00AM
Anyone interested in exploring their creative side should bike, walk or drive over to the Green Project, where the second annual Draw-a-thon, a 24-hour art-making marathon, takes place from Saturday at 6:30 a.m. to Sunday at 6:30 a.m. at 2831 Marais St., in Faubourg Marigny.
Last year, more than 200 people participated in the artpalooza, where local artists led a variety of informal workshops on different forms of art making.
The early hours of the event are aimed toward the next generation of Crescent City artists, with children's activities, led by artists Laura Richens and Susan Gisleson, including drawing on maps, boxes and natural bamboo paper Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. Unlike practically everywhere else on Earth, the kids are allowed, no, encouraged to draw on the walls of the paper-coated Drawing Room.
Afternoon activities will appeal to children and adults alike, as comic artist Caesar Meadows teaches miniature comic book construction from noon to 2 p.m.; filmmakers Courtney Egan and Kourtney Keller teach hand-painted filmmaking from 1 to 3 p.m.; New Orleans Center for Creative Arts students Ashley Teamer and Tracey Bullington lead gesture drawing from 2 to 4 p.m. and Times-Picayune features art director/illustrator Kenny Harrison demonstrates foam printmaking from 3 to 5 p.m.
If you've ever needed to make a block print to decorate T-shirts, wrapping paper or whatever, Harrison's method, using only plastic foam and felt-tip pens, is the simplest, quickest printmaking technique there is.
As night falls, the mood begins to mature. Artists will sketch to the music of Dixon Ticonderoga from 6 to 8 p.m.; The Iron Draftsman drawing competition (based on the popular cooking competition) takes place from 8 to 9 p.m.; "Drill Sgt." Gary Oaks leads high-speed figure drawing (with live models) from 10 to midnight; and Tim Phillips leads Samoan mouth-painting from midnight to 2 a.m. -- whatever Samoan mouth painting is.
Event coordinator Gisleson said that last year the Draw-a-thon took on a weird quality in the wee hours. Early in the day, a child drew a werewolf emerging from a toilet on the Drawing Room wall. Much later adult artists "deliriously" drew their own toilet werewolves -- and a tradition was born. This year all available artists are invited to participate in "Werewolf in the Toilet" absurdist drawing games from 2 to 5 a.m.
The event comes to an end with a pancake breakfast. Hmmm? Does anyone else remember the scene in "Basquiat, " where the artist draws on a diner table with pancake syrup? Art doesn't necessarily have to stop just because the pancakes show up, right?
"It's just so amazing because at the beginning of the draw the entire space is bare, " said Gisleson, "then by the end of the day there's not one space uncovered. It's such a collaboration of work. Even if you don't like to draw, there's music, food, and this year we'll have a tribute to filmmaker Helen Hill and show her work."
Gisleson forewarns visitors that the Draw-a-thon timetable is only a suggestion.
"Artists are artists, you never know when they will come or go!" she said. "But we'll try to stay on schedule as much as possible. With children and art, we'll let them work for as long as they like, in a group or by themselves, and as always when they feel done, I am sure they'll move onto the next activity."
The Draw-a-thon is held in partnership with Recycle for the Arts and Press Street, a literary and visual art collective with a mission to spread the word on New Orleans' vitality.
DRAW-A-THON
What: A full day of hands-on art activities led by local artists.
When: From Saturday at 6:30 a.m. to Sunday at 6:30 a.m.
Where: The Green Project, 2831 Marais St., at the corner of Press Street in Faubourg Marigny.
Admission: Free. Coffee and Hubig's pies provided, with concessions sold.
Information: Call (504) 250-7975, e-mail noladrawathon@gmail.com or visit www.press-street.com.
During the event:
Keep up with the event throughout the Draw-a-thon, by visiting www.nola.com/entertainment/arts/
