Downtown Mobile’s arts scene picked up a new, informal gathering spot last week when local artists met at Serda’s Coffee Company on South Royal Street for the city’s first “Drink and Draw” session. Held the evening of Friday, April 16, the event invited artists of every skill level, professional and amateur, to sketch whatever caught their eye inside the coffee shop, whether that was the space itself, the staff and customers, a live band playing that night, or fellow artists at nearby tables.
The idea came from Mobile artist Caleb Morris, who adapted it from a trio of artists in Los Angeles known for blending sketching with a relaxed, social, and often humorous atmosphere. Morris said he saw an opening to build on enthusiasm already growing locally around informal group sketching.
“Everyone responded so enthusiastically to the SketchCrawls,” Morris said. “I thought we could expand on the idea, especially in a way that might appeal to more young people.”
Rooted in an International Sketching Movement
The Drink and Draw grew out of SketchCrawl, an international initiative in which groups of artists around the world sketch their own communities on set dates and later post the results online at sketchcrawl.com. Artist Val Webb introduced the concept to Mobile’s arts community the previous summer. Since then, local artists have held two organized SketchCrawls: the first through downtown Mobile in October and the second in and around the Mobile Museum of Art in February. A third was already on the calendar for Saturday, May 15, at Oakleigh, with results from the earlier crawls posted at mobilesketchcrawl.com.
Organizers say the appeal of both the SketchCrawls and the new Drink and Draw is the same: fresh, unpredictable subject matter, an informal and welcoming atmosphere, and the camaraderie that comes from creating alongside other artists. The events have so far been coordinated under the Mobile Arts Council, but organizers say they hope to eventually hand the reins to a looser, artist-led group in which anyone interested can step up to plan a future gathering.
Those interested in future Drink and Draw sessions or SketchCrawl dates can contact the Mobile Arts Council at 251-432-9796, ext. 11, or by email at csmoke@mobilearts.org.