Drawn / Artists and Drawings / 2010

"Drawing is under-appreciated," says Lynn Ruscheinsky, an art history professor who teaches courses in indigenous and contemporary art at Langara College and Emily Carr University. "Artists throughout history have long understood the value and importance of this medium, yet the general public and even the art world itself have traditionally viewed drawing as little more than a preparatory form for works created in other media." According to Ruscheinksy, this view of drawing's place is both arbitrary and wrong: "Drawing is an important artistic language with something unique and very special to say."

Last year, Ruscheinsky and a small number of her colleagues from the contemporary art world organized Drawn, Metro Vancouver's first ever multi-venue festival of drawing. For three weeks in July and August, more than 15 Vancouver-area galleries and museums hosted a series of exhibitions devoted to the theme of drawing. With work by more than 80 artists on display, the festival gave viewers a sense of the medium's diversity and richness. The first celebration of its kind in Canada, Drawn 2009 was by all accounts a significant success, creating more appreciation for drawing along with a better understanding of its role as a vital mode of contemporary cultural expression.

Encouraged by the positive response, Ruscheinsky and company have been hard at work preparing for a follow up edition. Scheduled to take place July 17 - August 7, Drawn 2010 will be similar in format to the festival's inaugural 2009 installment. According to Ruscheinsky, this year's festival will feature more galleries (18 at last count) and will likely include more solo exhibitions and fewer groups shows. As in the past, the organizers are also planning a parallel series of artist talks, educational lectures, panels and other events aimed at deepening our understanding of drawing's uniqueness.

Drawn 2010 will also include The Drawing Room, a new juried exhibition that will take place at the Pendulum Gallery in downtown Vancouver. According to Ruscheinsky, this component will give more scope to the festival, adding a new dimension beyond what the galleries will be showcasing. "The Drawing Room will complement what the various venues are showing, and it will give artists who are not currently connected with any of the commercial galleries in the festival an opportunity to participate." Ruscheinsky also hopes that the juried exhibition will become a showcase for drawing's more innovative side. "We are encouraging artists to submit a range of work, from traditional draftsmanship to more innovative work that stretches the very definition of drawing."

The competition is open to Canadian artists of professional standing aged 18 years or older. A jury panel made up of six distinguished members of the visual arts community will choose 50 works by 50 artists for inclusion in the exhibition and the accompanying catalogue. Those interested in submitting their work can see the complete list of guidelines at www.drawnfestival.ca. The deadline for making a submission is May 29, 2010. Please note that there is a $35 submission fee.