Washington - In conjunction with the opening of the National Building Museum's newest exhibition, "David Macaulay: The Art of Drawing Architecture," the Museum will host The Big Draw Family Day featuring David Macaulay on Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Join Macaulay, a celebrated illustrator and author of The Way Things Work, for the U.S. premier of The Big Draw. Visitors are invited to experiment with the drawing process and to watch and learn from artists, including Macaulay, local art educators, and art students.
The festival is offered in association with the Campaign for Drawing, a UK-wide initiative. The Big Draw is designed to offer people of all ages the chance to discover that drawing is enjoyable, energizing, and can be used as a tool to interact with the built environment. The day's drawing activities connect with the Campaign for Drawing's mission and the exhibition's four main themes: visual archaeology, playing with perspective, revealing structures, and imagination.
To kick-off the day, Macaulay will lead a community art project in the Great Hall, inviting visitors to help create a community drawing a "re-imagination" of the Museum's historic frieze on a giant canvas. Using the Museum's architectural elements as examples, Macaulay will demonstrate and discuss his process for creating perspective drawings. He will also sign copies of some of his books, which are available in the Museum Shop.
The community canvas project, sidewalk chalk mural creation, and various drop-in activities, will be ongoing throughout the day. There are also a number of scheduled activities, including workshops for children, teenagers, and adults. Kid-centric workshops, focusing on simple perspective drawing and sketching techniques, will take place in both the morning and afternoon. These workshops will be led by art educators. Eric Jenkins, AIA, associate professor at The Catholic University of America School of Architecture and Planning, will lead two analytical sketching workshops for adult and teenage visitors. Space is limited for the workshops; participants can sign up at The Big Draw in advance of each session. Other scheduled demonstrations and activities include, dance performances, caricature drawing, and face painting. Local dancers Jane Jerardi and Ginger Wagg will perform Trading Spaces, an original choreographed dance in which they will create a new take on "drawing," by drawing with the moving body, leaving a trace of it behind.
For a detailed schedule of events, visit The Big Draw event page: www.nbm.org/Events/Calendar/macaulay-big-draw/index.htm.
Located in Washington, D.C., the National Building Museum is America's leading cultural institution dedicated to exploring and celebrating architecture, design, engineering, construction, and planning. Chartered by Congress in 1980 and open to the public since 1985, the Museum has become a vital forum for exchanging ideas and information about the built environment through its exhibitions, education programs, and publications. Museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Additional information is available at www.nbm.org.
The Campaign for Drawing, a UK-wide initiative, invites everyone to join in, using drawing as a powerful tool for engaging with the past, present, and future. For more information, visit www.drawingpower.org.uk.
