Written by Kylie Williams
Photography by Sikena Khadija
D.R.A.W. had the pleasure of participating in the 9th Annual Celebration of the Arts Expo. This year's MAD celebration showcased a variety of artist workshops, demos, and community-led art projects. Local artists presented a wide range of talents and mediums of artistic expression. This included visual arts like painting, sculpting, printmaking and photography. Other artistic platforms included workshops in improv comedy, music, dance, and writing.
D.R.A.W.’s participation in the Celebration included a printmaking workshop and community linocut. The workshop demonstrated how to create block prints, which could be brought home and reused. They also presented the community linocut block where participants could make their mark in a collaborative project. This linocut will be pulled as a large-scale, steamrolled print during the Draw-A-Thon on August 12th, 2023. Outside of the workshop, PUGG interns helped immensely in setting up and running the expo alongside MAD and other volunteers.
This Celebration of the Arts had an outstanding attendance of local artists, volunteers, and community members. The local artists did a wonderful job at creating a welcoming and exciting atmosphere for the community. Children and adults alike had an immense eagerness to learn. The majority of adults attended the sessions alongside their children and were reluctant to participate at first. They soon expressed a real passion for art and were having as much fun as their children. Inspiration and creativity filled each room at the Celebration of Arts Expo and we look forward to next year’s exploration of the arts.
