The Sketchbook Project: A universal language

This week, I had the privilege of spending a few days in Santa Barbara with an artist friend and her son. What brought us to share the adventure was the Sketchbook Tour, a mobile library of art books - coming from Brooklyn and landing in Santa Barbara for a couple of days as they toured the United States. My friend and I had both submitted art books we each made so we thought it would be cool to see our own touring books along with all the other creations, like over 27,000 of them, traveling the country in the mobile sketchbook library. (And, no, we didn't even scratch the surface of viewing the art books in this traveling library....)

Here is the link to the project: The Sketchbook Project in case you want to know the origin of this fantastic opportunity and, perhaps, join in the fun and submit your own creation. Art books are usually due mid January in order to prep for their nationwide tour. After the tour, they are housed, permanently, in the Brooklyn Art Library. For a small fee, you are sent a sketchbook and directions along with theme ideas. ANYONE can do this. Anyone. I highly recommend it.....

Maybe you can even catch them on tour near where you live. Check out the mobile tour schedule here: Where is the mobile library now?  Tell Steven and Sara I said hello!

One of the many best perks of this trip was getting to meet the co-founder of the Art House Co-op, Steven Peterman, and his wife, Sara. They are taking these art books (submitted from ALL over the world, by the way....) on tour in the mobile art book library. Just the two of them. Pretty awesome, I think. Great people. Wonderful vibe. I have already started working on getting the Mobile Library to land in my area sometime in 2014 or soon after....

A few scenes from my Sketchbook Mobile Tour experience...




Co-founder, Steven Peterman, with his wife and partner in Art House endeavors, Sara.






















First, get your special Sketchbook Project library card. A bit of information, a few clicks, and it's yours! And FREE, too....


















The mobile library was open from 5pm to 8pm. It was stationed in the back parking lot of a micro brewery on this day. The following day, they were setting up behind the Santa Barbara Art Museum. Lots of great exchanges as we all shared our books checked out. Friendly, open vibe. Old friends met up; new connections made.

Goes to show you, art breaks down many perceived barriers....




























The event was to end by 8pm. My crew and I left around 8:30 - maybe even a bit later than that. Steven and Sara were still handing out art books for people to enjoy in the dimming light....



<---------   Here is Bonnie with her memoir art book. Her signature style - a beautiful collage of handmade and found papers with pictures and simple words of her very richly experienced life. It was an honor to read it. I understand a bit more why my friend is the special person that she is.....

 (That's what art does to people. It lets you see inside....)


And here I am with my narrative book, "Fortunate Words".....each page had a fortune from a cookie with my interpretation of it in collage form ------->








<----- This is the art book touring on the shelf right next to mine. The artist is from, I believe, Viet Nam. Many of the books I randomly chose to read were from the far east.







Thank you, Steven and Sara, and everyone at the Art House Co-op and Brooklyn Art Library who has put a dream into action for the rest of the world to participate in and enjoy. Looking forward to meeting again....


Comments

Anonymous said…
Very cool! Had no idea this existed. Thank you for sharing your experience. Now I'm motivated to check out the project. Love your articles. Feels like we are sitting, sharing tea, and telling stories :-)
August 04, 2013
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