Drawn 2009 presents "The Drawing Party," an evening of live drawing

Vancouver, BC – Metro Vancouver's inaugural festival of contemporary drawing will kick off July 17 with a unique event featuring live drawing performances by some of Vancouver's best emerging and established artists. Guests will mingle and watch as artists Christian Nicolay, Thomas Anfield, Carolyn Stockbridge, Justin Ogilvie, Val Nelson, Kavavaow Mannomee and Davida Kidd create large scale drawings right before our eyes. Called The Drawing Party, the innovative event will be a new twist on the traditional launch party.

"Vancouver's first drawing festival deserves to start with a bang" said Julie Lee, one of Drawn's organizers and the curator of the evening event. "We're delighted that these wonderful artists have agreed to participate in this unique evening of live drawing." According to Lee, the event will have an appealing earthiness. "This isn't going to be a high tech or lavish affair by any means. On the contrary, it will have a quality of rawness and edge to it, mirroring the directness of the medium and the festival's limited resources in this inaugural year."

The event will take place in Gastown in the basement of one of Vancouver's most historic buildings. Each participating artist will be assigned a drawing station or "bay" consisting of a large 4 by 5 foot sheet of paper and various drawing materials. The artists will work on their respective drawings for the duration of the evening.

Guests to the launch will be free to roam the space and visit each artist's station as they work. "We're planning a truly interactive evening," said Lee, who has also programmed live music and a lighting installation for the event. "People will of course be socializing. But they will also be watching and enjoying some impressive art-making at the same time. We're not sure exactly but to expect, but we know it's going to be a lot of fun." An additional station will be reserved for a large communal drawing, where other artists in attendance will be encouraged to draw.

The organizers of the 3-week summer festival plan to auction the finished drawings at a fundraiser to be held later in the year. The money earned from the sale of the drawings will be used to help fund programming for the festival's second year in 2010.

Who: Christian Nicolay, Thomas Anfield, Carolyn Stockbridge, Justin Ogilvie, Val Nelson, Kavavaow Mannomee and Davida Kidd: The Drawing Party
What: Official launch party for Drawn, Metro Vancouver's inaugural celebration of drawing
When: Friday, July 17, 7:00 – 11:00 pm
Where: One Alexander in Gastown
Cost: Free
Website: www.drawnfestival.ca

ABOUT DRAWN
For three weeks in July and August, Vancouver-area galleries and museums will join forces to host an unprecedented series of exhibitions devoted to the medium of drawing. The first city-wide celebration of its kind in Canada, this unique multi-venue event will include an exciting program of free lectures, gallery tours, exhibition openings, performances, artist talks and more. Drawn / Artists and Drawings / Vancouver 2009 is presented by the Vancouver Drawing Festival Society, a non-profit society dedicated to raising awareness and appreciation for the artistic medium of drawing.

Media inquiries:
Robert Kardosh
604-418-3759