Drawn Together is a compelling exhibit that examines the common thread of “making” that is the groundwork for five nonprofit organizations: Urban Sketchers New Orleans, Upturn Arts, ACE Mentorship Program, Project Pipeline, and the Albert and Tina Small Center for Collaborative Design (part of the Tulane University design community).

This groundwork not only applies to the sense of foundation, but also as work on the ground, or a deeper engagement of our community. If you squint your eyes, these five organizations could be the same, and their exhibit submissions are simply snapshots of makers along a timeline. They speak of common threads: exploring, engaging, and translating community features. They do so through design, drawing, and scrappy problem-solving

At the AIA Convention on Architecture this year (and on the heels of a thrilling performance by the Soul Children of Chicago), architect and professor Renée Cheng, FAIA, was queried on the accessibility of the profession of architecture:

“There are so many brains at work that aren’t even thinking that architecture is a potential career, or they have the agency to be an architect. Making this profession attractive to people like the kids on stage [The Soul Children of Chicago]. They knew they were singing to architects. How many have met an architect or thought about it as a career? Our job is to make it accessible.”

Drawn Together attempts to connect the thread of making throughout these communities and along a timeline, drawing them together. What these youths are doing today is the nascent work of architecture. Once they are architects, their designs will flow along a similar timeline as seen in the exhibit.

Join us for our White Linen Night Opening Reception for “Drawn Together” on Saturday, August 6th from 6-9PM at the AIA Center for Design (1000 Saint Charles Avenue).