Drawing by Amy Bailey
A spirited and synergistic new drawing event is taking place at Truckee Meadows Community College, as student artists and community members compose, sketch, and blend while accompanied by the live music of a well-regarded local string quartet.
“This is something I’ve been doing for years, since I was a graduate student in Michigan—I’ve used symphony quartets and jazz quartets,” said Nick Reszetar, Visual Arts Instructor and Lead Drawing faculty member. “The students always just love it.”
The unique event will premier in December, pairing a Life Drawing I class with guest symphonic musicians. Along with Reszetar’s class, all TMCC students, faculty, staff, and members of the community are invited to draw images full of life while listening to performed and unplugged music.
Musicians playing for the event are a popular Reno-Sparks classical string quartet, the String Beings, led by Van Vinikow.
- When: Monday, Dec. 4, 1–4 p.m.
- Where: V. James Eardley Student Services Center
The event is free and art materials will be provided—drawing tables with all needed materials will be set up and ready for the event.
“Join us as we bring our TMCC Life Drawing class together with a live symphony quartet for an incredible creative connection,” Reszetar said. “Even if you just come to witness it, it will be a unique, creative experience. I’d like to have people try drawing, and say ‘That’s not so hard, maybe I’ll try it.’”
TMCC faculty are welcome to bring their classes for a cross-curricular experience.
Life Drawing I Class
The official title of the class is Art 201: Life Drawing I. Those enrolled in the course learn concepts of the human form and drawing people in action.
“Students will be using what they have learned about composition, gesture, proportion, line and value as they draw the performing musicians,” Reszetar said.
The work that the students do at the music and drawing event will go into each one’s class portfolio, along with dozens of other pieces that will also factor into their semester grade.
“On an artistic level, we’re talking about how to draw the proportions, the line, but we’re also working on expressing the human experience through art,” Reszetar said. “Live figures that are engaged in motion, engaged in art. They’re not going to forget this experience.”
He adds that many times, live music is new to those who have been brought up in a digital age.
“Young students may have never seen a live quartet—only electronic music, but being next to live music, it vibrates your bones and moves you in physical ways,” Reszetar said. “You experience new things in college, it’s another facet of why we value and are here in college.”
Connections Between Art and Music
Music and art create a natural synergy.
“We've always associated music with creating art; we call popular musicians 'artists',” he said. “Bringing musicians and artists, and even sometimes scientists all together for the greater community can be very valuable. It could be for connections or collaborations between the fields, but the spiritual part of it is important, as well.”
Bringing music and art together also creates new levels of thinking for students.
“When you can open up intuitive channels, you open students to ways of innovative thinking and creative thinking. It helps with problem-solving, moving through challenging situations in life for working around problems, thinking through them.”
For more information, please contact TMCC Visual and Performing Arts at 775-673-7291.