GCAC Presents: Experience the Arts with the Arts Council of Westerville’s Sip and Sketch

Westerville has something brand new that brings together individuals of all skill levels to create art—Sip and Sketch. This is not a new idea; many communities across the country have some form of it. About a year ago, The Arts Council of Westerville (ACW) partnered Meza Wine Shop to offer Sip and Sketch classes. Individuals, friends and couples of all artistic skills levels gather and create unique art pieces while tasting five different wines. The classes meet on the first Tuesday of each month.

Although the name suggests that the class concentrates on sketching and drawing, the art medium varies, and the artistic skill of each class varies, some are vary basic, working on collages or drawing techniques. Others classes teach more advanced techniques, such as shadowing with pastels, or working with acrylics.

When the Arts Council of Westerville was considering offering the Sip and Sketch, we wanted to be certain that this activity would meet our mission and goals. We felt these classes would allow individuals to experience the arts, and provide an avenue to connect the Westerville community with the art community. Sip and Sketch has exceeded our expectations.

• Individuals who have never been involved in the arts, are attending the classes and discovering the satisfaction of creating their own art.

• Art instructors, who vary with each class, have a way to promote their own art, and to get lists of potential new students.

• The classes also benefit the community by bringing additional traffic into the City and also into the Meza Wine Shop.

Sip and Sketch has been very popular. Many who attend consider it a “girls’ night out” or a way to relieve the stress of the day. Attendees, who are current artists, use the classes to experiment with new techniques, mediums and ideas. Novice attendees are finding areas of art that they want to explore.

What ACW has discovered, is that to truly get someone interested in the Arts, have them create art. An individual’s understanding of the skills and techniques that are involved in creating a piece of art increases tremendously from the experience.

We are so pleased with Sip and Sketch that we are going to try another interactive program in the fall, Comedy Thursday which will be a stand-up and improvisation comedy, involving the community. Comedy Thursday will be offered on the second Thursday of each month, starting on September 13, at Nanak, 895 S. State Street, Westerville, Ohio.

For more information, call (614) 882-971 or visit www.artscouncilwesterville.net.

GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.