Hopper Drawing Family Day: Jason Polan
Jul 11, 2013
Families at the Whitney on Hopper Drawing Family Day, June 2013. Photograph by Filip Wolak
The wall in the Lower Lobby of the Museum started off empty on Sunday, June 2; however, as Hopper Drawing Family Day progressed, there was hardly a blank space left. Families worked with New York artist Jason Polan on a collaborative drawing project. Throughout the three-hour event, children and parents contributed to a growing wall of drawings inspired by Polan’s practice.
Artist Jason Polan standing in front of the wall of drawings created by families throughout the day, Hopper Drawing Family Day, June 2013. Photograph by Evan Polivy
Creator of the blog Every Person In New York, Polan draws people in subway stations, museums, restaurants, and on street corners, defining who he sees in expressive black lines. Likewise, artist Edward Hopper made drawings of various characters that he encountered in Paris and New York in the early years of the twentieth century.
One attendee displays her drawing before adding it to the wall, June 2013. Photograph by Filip Wolak
Polan began the project by putting some of his drawings up on the walls of the Whitney’s Lower Lobby. Families joined him to make drawings of people and add their sketches to the wall. Kids and parents either drew themselves, or like Polan, tried their hand at drawing other people in the Museum. At the end of the day, the huge display of participants’ pictures revealed their diverse drawing styles—some used simple, delicate lines to evoke a cheek bone or hairline, while others created detailed caricatures.
Billie Rae Vinson, Coordinator of Family Programs (left) and Jamie Rosenfeld, Education Assistant (right) at Hopper Drawing Family Day, June 2013. Photograph by Filip Wolak
Stay tuned for a second Hopper-inspired family day on Saturday, September 28. Visit Family Programs for more information.
Billie Rae Vinson, Coordinator of Family Programs and Jamie Rosenfeld, Education Assistant