Guest blog post by Shannon Huang, Ryman Arts, and Tati Simonian, Grand Park
October is a great time of month for the arts. It’s National Arts & Humanities month, the month of the Inktober initiative, of The Big Draw, and most significant for Southern California, it’s the month of The Big Draw LA hosted by Los Angeles based non-profit, Ryman Arts.
The Big Draw LA is a series of drawing activities where the public – people of all ages and abilities – makes art at a wide variety of venues — from museums and parks to unique locations in neighborhoods. These events are organized and led by community-based organizations across the region. The Big Draw LA is linked to The Big Draw – the national festival that is taking place in over 20 countries of communities hosting art events during the month of October.
Ryman Arts is now in its sixth year of presenting The Big Draw LA and flagship event, Make Your Mark in the Park. On October 18 from 11-4p, Make Your Mark in the Park, will take place right in front of the Los Angeles City Hall in Grand Park. A fun-filled, creative afternoon, we will celebrate the act of drawing by welcoming thousands of Angelenos to draw together. With many participatory drawing activities lead by Ryman Arts students and faculty, Grand Park will be transformed into a giant experimental drawing studio.
This year, CicLAvia Heart of LA on October 18 will go through DTLA, putting Grand Park in the center of the route. Cyclists, park-goers, and Angelenos of all ages are invited to enjoy Make Your Mark in the Park.
During the free event, ten drawing activities will be spread throughout Grand Park’s Event Lawn, each offering a different element of drawing to bring the community together in an interactive way. These activities include: creating bright colored geometric designs with tape throughout the sidewalks of Grand Park; animation and flip book activities; participating in collaborative weaving; and several other artmaking opportunities. Guests will also have the chance to draw the iconic LA City Hall, with the guidance of artists from Ryman Arts, as well as play a Surrealist drawing game, and collaborate together to create their very own comics, masks and flags. Participants will also have the opportunity to take home art materials through various giveaways hosted throughout the event.
The Big Draw LA and the “Make Your Mark in the Park” event symbolize a deeper, citywide movement to encourage visual literacy and community interaction throughout the City of Los Angeles. These events demonstrate the power of art and arts engagement to inspire creativity, build community bonds, and improve the vitality of urban neighborhoods. The Big Draw LA emphasizes the importance of arts education and that the act of drawing is not just for artists, it’s for everyone. For more information, please visit thebigdrawla.org
MORE INFO ON CICLAVIA: ciclavia.org
MORE INFO ON GRAND PARK: grandparkla.org
This event is free and open to the public.
