By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
Barb Morse, the temporary city Parks and Rec coordinator, was a little surprised recently to receive a call from fifth-grader Wyatt Kegley, who pitched an idea he and his friend had for a new after-school drawing club.
But she was more than happy to help put the wheels in motion for the club, and on its first day the turnout was 20 kids, in grades three to five.
Wyatt said the idea came from his friend Brillian Soule-Raphael, but Wyatt was the one who called Morse after Keet Gooshi Heen Principal Casey Demmert said it sounded like a good idea, and connected Wyatt with Morse.
“And we actually made it a real thing,” Wyatt said. (He and Brillian had three ideas - for a drawing club, a fort and shelter building club, and a book club - but Morse suggested starting with one.)
The club meets 2:40 to 3:50 p.m. Mondays in Room 9 at Keet Gooshi Heen. Students are free to draw whatever they please, snacks and supplies are available, and adult artists are invited as mentors.
“The reason I like drawing is it makes me feel peaceful,” Brillian said. “No one can tell me what to do.”
He explained he comes from artist stock.
“My dad did abstract and my mom did realistic. So I’m doing more anime or this sort of thing,” he said, showing a fantastical pencil sketch.
Both Wyatt and Brill were excited to see an enthusiastic response to the club. Eight kids signed up last week but by Monday that number more than doubled.
Wyatt Kegley, front left, chats with his pal Dalton Turner as they get ready to draw along with fellow members of a new drawing club Monday afternoon at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School. Wyatt and his classmate Brillian Soule-Raphael co-founded the after-school club, sponsored by the Parks and Rec program. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Morse said the idea is to have different volunteers serve as mentors, and perhaps give the kids some pointers on drawing, have an exercise or just allow the kids to do as the poster says: “Sketch Doodle Draw.”
“I think what we had planned is that the person would come in and show some of their art, talk about what they do and explain the artist’s style and then the kids would have a chance to kind of practice it and learn something new,” Morse said.
Guest artist Rebecca Poulson, the first artist mentor, said the kickoff meeting of the drawing club went well.
Poulson brought in a bottle for an observational drawing exercises, and also gave a bonus mini-lesson on linear perspective.
“It was superfun, great enthusiastic group of kids, good energy,” Poulson said. “It’s a great format to have artists come in because it’s a really minimal time commitment, and it’s probably a good variety for the kids too.”
Poulson, who grew up in Sitka, said she would have appreciated a similar club in her day. Like most kids, she taught herself to draw.
“I would’ve eaten it up,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of opportunities for kids to get tips.”
Morse said in getting the new city Parks and Rec program off the ground this year, she hadn’t considered a drawing club.
“But these guys were just so enthusiastic, and had great ideas,” she said. “I just decided to go with what they wanted to do, which was to do something after school and make it really reasonable for other kids to do it. It might continue after six weeks.”
“We can send an email to all the people who signed up,” Wyatt suggested.
Morse credited founders Brillian and Wyatt in building enthusiasm for the club through posting flyers around the school and getting the word out to classmates.
Those wanting to sign up may have to add their names to a wait list, or wait until the next sign-up period, since registration topped out at the first meeting.
