Quick Draw Scholarships

The Quick Draw committee is currently reviewing all scholarship applications. Students describe their interest in art, school activities, where they plan to attend college and their proposed majors. This year there is a diverse group of students. Check back to see the scholarship winner(s) announcement.

Another article about Quick Draw

Smoky Mountain News has a wonderful article about the Quick Draw benefit this coming Saturday. Check it out here.

Quick Draw on the Laurel of Asheville

Check out the article about Quick Draw at the Laurel of Asheville.

If You Dream It, Funds Will Come

Haywood County art teachers gained a boost to their teaching wish lists when members of the QuickDraw Committee met to award mini-grants to county elementary middle school, and senior high art teachers. The grants were given a the Haywood County School Board meeting in October to fund original creative teaching ideas in school art programs. The grants enable art teachers to brainstorm and design school specific projects to enhance their teaching curriculum, and often tie in with academic coursework. The art grants are funded through QuickDraw, an annual art fundraiser, renowned for its lively atmosphere of creation and the chance to meet prominent artists and buy their works.

Art experience is the gift that keeps on giving, according to Faye Wagoner, QuickDraw co-chair. “Students say, ‘I can do this!, and by golly, they do!” QuickDraw helps art teachers with project funding and provides a creative spark beyond the regular curricula, often enabling art students to reinforce academic themes from other subjects. Students get new projects to develop creative thinking, and college-bound seniors get financial help to pursue art-related career paths.

Since QuickDraw’s inception, $32,000 in teacher grants and $13,000 in scholarships have been donated to benefit art teaching in the schools. According to Steve Brown, executive director of the Haywood County Schools Foundation, this is the ninth year that teachers have applied fo and received funds through the Foundation from QuickDraw donations. QuickDraw’s art scholarships will be awarded in May at the annual Schools Foundation function honoring scholars and athletes receiving scholarship assistance through the Foundation.

QuickDraw’s lively art-while-you-watch event lets regional artists step up for art teaching. Guests watch artists create original art during a sixty-minute countdown (some go from blank canvas to finished painting). Guests stroll around the event, marveling to observe the process. After mounting and framing on the spot, the QuickDraw art is sold at the event, which includes a buffet and auction. “The live demonstration is a ‘wow’ experience,” said Sandra Hayes fo the QuickDraw committee. “You see architectural construction of a work, layer upon layer, as these artists build pieces that, by rights, should take days or weeks to make. The event’s other legs are the auction and a meet-the-artists buffet, just plain fun all around.”

Artist donate half or more of their sale to QuickDraw, and proceeds support art teaching. Last year’s event funded three college scholarships for high school seniors and funded mini-grant proposals from every art teacher in the county schools.

A popular charity event that kicks off spring’s art season, QuickDraw is held the last Saturday of April each year. QuickDraw 2010 is slated for Saturday, April 30, at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Over 30 professional artists will work live at the event. For more information, contact QuickDraw at 456-6584 or visit www.wncquickdraw.com

Auction Rewards

The Quick Draw artists donate their time, materials and talent for your enjoyment and to help raise money for Haywood County art teachers for supplies and college scholarships. The artwork is auctioned off and the artist donates 50% or more of the auction sale. We are very honored that some of the artists donate 100% of the auction sale. This week the artists received their percentage.

Check back on Monday for an important announcement about our scholarship winners.

QuickDraw 2010

Even with the rain, the QuickDraw event Sat. night was a success. People enjoyed themselves wandering around watching the artists work, then enjoying the buffet which was excellent. After dinner, folks gathered in the conference room for the live auction and to bid on their favorite artist and artwork. This year, Balsam Mountain Preserve donated a round of golf for 4, including cart and that was the final item at auction. Here are a couple photos from the event. Be sure and check out our website www.wncquickdraw.com for more photos and videos of QuickDraw events.

Welcome to the new QuickDraw blog!

What It Is

A fun, lively art event where professional artists race the clock to start and complete a work of art in one fast-paced hour while you watch.

Forty artists provide a glimpse into their world of pottery, metal sculpture, woodworking, fiber art, acrylics, pastels, watercolor, fused glass, jewelry design and basketry. Entertaining and enlightening!

Who We Are

A unique partnership of artists, organizers, and teachers who are committed to enriching the art experiences of children in our public schools. Artists volunteer their time and donate half or more of their auction price to the cause.

What We Do

Provide funds for art education in the public schools and award scholarships for graduating seniors to pursue art-related studies.

Since 2002 QuickDraw has funded over 18,000 art experiences in the elementary population alone not including elective courses in middle and high schools.