The “sketchbook project” is an invitation sent out to anyone willing to contribute drawings to a universal library of sketchbook gathered by the organisation bearing the same name.
How does it work? The participant after registering online will receive an empty sketchbook on which to draw. He/She will then send it back to the organisation that will include it in its collection. This library is both physical, wooden shelves covered in sketchbooks in Brooklyn, and digital, thousands and thousands of pages scanned and put online.
This library is without borders, accessible by all and created on a voluntary basis. It is a large collection of artistic styles free of geographic constraints, age or social background limitations. It is an invitation to practice art and for a lot of contributors a first exhibition of their drawings on such a large scale. Finally it can be used as a source of inspiration for artists, like a database of artistic ideas. In that mess we soon discover real gems and new visual sensitivities. Our visual culture is thus rejuvenated thanks to new representations, more diverse, more local.
“The Big Draw” has a similar mission. The festival organizes each year events related to drawing. Anyone is welcome to offer activities and theses activities will be included as part of the festival. By delegating part of the organisation, the festival becomes collaborative and can reach more people in more places. Encouraging the audience to draw, free of self-awareness, pushes people toward a practice that have us see the world with new eyes. We need it. So take a pencil!
