Learning to Draw at Workshops Hosted by Cape Girardeau Public Library

Two weeks ago, Jean Martin retired from working as the user services supervisor at the Cape Girardeau Public Library. Looking for something to do with her newfound free time, she decided to venture back to the library to take a series of fine art drawing classes designed specifically for people older than 55 years of age.

She says she likes to sketch and thought it would be enjoyable.

“I just was looking for something to do, to give me some direction. I took a drawing class in college, but I haven’t done anything in years, and so this just sound- ed like fun,” Martin says. “I’m a lifelong learner, so this was just my first foray into [that].”

The workshop series is funded by the Advancing Creative Aging Through State Library Leadership Initiative Grant, a joint initiative of Califa Group, Wyoming State Library, Missouri State Library and Lifetime Arts, made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Grant.

It’s the third of three fine art workshop courses hosted by the library throughout the past year aimed at cultivating arts and community for people older than 55 years of age. The first two workshop courses offered classes in fine art drawing and poetry.

For this third course, Joshua Newth, MFA, Southeast Missouri State University professor of art, will lead a series of eight guided sessions to help students grow in their fine art drawing skills. At the end of the eight weeks, the class will exhibit their work at the library on April 24 from 1 to 3 p.m., a show that will be open to the public.

“I really want to give people the confidence to continue to make art, to continue to draw or explore other creative avenues,” Newth says. “Everybody has it in them to be an artist, they just don’t realize it. And so, it’s a really good opportunity for a dozen or so people to be together, learn from one another, learn from someone like myself who has a little bit more experience, and just be in an environment where it’s positive and there’s no assessment, no grades. Just learn, have fun and take whatever you can away from this class and put it into some sort of artistic practice on your own.”

Throughout the eight workshops, students will learn the basics of looking at items to see the specifics of shape while drawing two-dimensional objects. They will also learn how to create a sense of three-dimensional space, volume and weight. During the last two workshops, they will draw from images they’re interested in, practicing the techniques they’ve learned.

Newth says the workshops are open to people of all artistic skill and experience levels, including those who think they don’t have drawing or artistic abilities. The classes build on one another, so the 12 participants will get to know each other while adding to the repertoire of their drawing skills as they attend each workshop.

Tori Cattaneo, Cape Girardeau Public Library adult services program coordinator, wrote the grant and designed the workshop series courses. She says she and Newth decided to host this drawing workshop course again because of the popularity of the first one. The goal of the grant is to enrich the lives of people who are age 55 and older.

“I hope that they discover something that they enjoy and find that they love doing and can continue doing, and that they make more connections in the community and are just more involved,” Cattaneo says of participants.

In the future, Cattaneo hopes to provide more fine arts opportunities for adults at the library such as this one. This spring, the library will also host a series for older adults by the Alzheimer’s Association called Empowered Caregivers for those who are caring for loved ones with Alzheimer’s and dementia. In addition, they will hold a Local Author Fair. There are more details about these events and others happening throughout the coming months on the Cape Girardeau Public Library's website, capelibrary.org/events.

Angala Luttrell, who taught art for the homeschool co-op her children were a part of, says it’s fun to be “on the student side of things” as a participant in this course. She encourages others to seek out ways to continue to learn, too.

“Find something that sparks your interest, and go do it,” she says.