Baltimore-based architects Carlos Almeida (AECOM), Jerome Gray (Jerome C. Gray Architect), Eric J. Jenkins (University of Maryland), Omar Calderon Santiago (Perkins Eastman) and Gabriel Kroiz (Morgan State University) have organized a small group of sketchers called Baltimore SketchWorks. They invite everyone to help celebrate sketching and the architecture of Baltimore through sketching tours, lectures, and exhibitions. Their first initiative is series of monthly sketching workshops in and around Baltimore.
These architects, with varied backgrounds, practices and career paths, believe in those the inherently human and universal qualities of sketching that link mind and body. While architects in the 21st century must embrace and use the most advanced digital technologies and tools, architects also know that there is a need for “both/and” thinking and working and that practice requires varied tools for varied situations. A sketch’s inaccuracies, mistakes, and “beautiful ugliness” not only allow for, but advances, the design search and connects us to one another. As architect Toshiko Mori notes, “I think the essential aspect of drawing [is that it creates] an immediate relationship between human beings; drawing survived everything. When I go to the world, 90% of places don’t have computers. So, to be able to interact with people, you have to draw. And then people can draw back. It’s still a universal language.”
This session, led by Jerome Gray, will be part of the Urban Sketchers meet-up for sketchers at all experience levels and backgrounds. The main theme is how sketching can help us explore and understand historic buildings and public spaces and their importance to a community. For more information, please visit urbansketchers.org
Workshop 4 – Deciphering Building Design and History through Urban Sketching
Date: Saturday, April 1
Time: 10:00am – noon
Location: This session will take place in the neighborhood of Fells Point. The precise meeting location will be sent to registrants.
Bring: pens, pencils or watercolors along with sketch and/or watercolor paper
On Saturday morning, April 1st, Jerome Gray, AIA, will direct a sketching workshop called “Deciphering Building Design and History through Urban Sketching”. The meet-up– the fourth in the Baltimore SketchWorks monthly sketch sessions– will provide beginners and the more experienced with tools to use sketching and historic research resources to understand how buildings and places are designed and methods of documenting histories on online encyclopedias and social media (and to just enjoy creating art!).
Limited to 20 participants. To sign up, please contact either Eric Jenkins (ericjenkinsarchitect@gmail.com) or Jerome Gray (jgray@jeromecgrayarchitect.com).
Baltimore SketchWorks is an evolving, informal group of Baltimore-based architects and sketchers who celebrate architectural sketching in Charm City. The first initiative of this celebration is a series of once-a-month sketching sessions. For more information, please see the group’s Instagram feed: baltimore_sketchworks or contact Eric Jenkins, AIA (ericjenkinsarchitect@gmail.com). They invite everyone to participate.