Illustrating Community: Drawn Together at Fairyland

By C.J. Hirschfield

Here at Fairyland, we love it when our various worlds collide. Or overlap. Or meld.

At our popular Turn the Page! children’s book festival, held in May, we got to know some fantastically talented artists and illustrators. Now six of them -- Wednesday Kirwan, Elisa Kleven, Michael Slack, Simone Shin, Emily Dove and Michael Wertz – will be joining us on Friday, Sept. 28, for our annual Drawn Together arts event, a grownups-only, after-hours celebration of local art and artists.

These artists will join more than 50 others in what has become, for six years, a major community-building lovefest.

Here’s what it looks like: Artists are placed all around our magical park, where they create works in different media that are inspired by their surroundings. Guests wander about, libations in hand, engaging with the creators as they work. At the end of the evening, the artists donate their works, which we display in Aesop’s Playhouse and then sell on the spot for a flat fee of $40 each, to benefit Fairyland’s outreach programs and to fund our ongoing restoration projects.

Artwork by Emily Dove, who is participating in this year's Drawn Together

I spoke with Shannon Taylor, Fairyland’s director of art and restoration and the driving force behind Drawn Together, about how our event might feel to the children’s-book illustrators. “For them, it’s an opportunity to create a singular piece, with no pressure,” says Shannon, who is also a working artist and an art professor at California College of Arts. “The fact that their art will be made, sold and going home on the same night allows for inventiveness and freedom.”

Shannon Taylor: a self-portrait

This year will feature more local artists than ever before, and Shannon thinks she knows why: “A lot of the artists enjoy their time together, with connections that go beyond business. The kinship that’s created between the artists themselves is compelling.”

And while this is an adults-only event, everyone (including the artists) feels free to enter a space that is “totally uncynical, childlike and joyful,” as Shannon describes it.

Artwork by Michael Wertz, a Drawn Together participant

It’s always hard to predict the sort of art that will be created that night. This year, we do know that there will be watercolors, soft sculpture and printmaking. One artist, a metalsmith, is bringing her forge.

We’ve also invited gallerists and retailers who feature art in their stores, and even representatives from a publishing company that likes to connect with new local artists. In previous years, these connections have led to collaborations that have benefited “our” artists, and we couldn’t be happier about that.

C.J. Hirschfield (left) and Shannon Taylor at last year's Drawn Together "auction"

And the non-artist guests? In addition to schmoozing with artists, they’ll enjoy beer, wine, cider, food and the talents of a fortune teller and a creator of “fairy hair extensions.”

A word of warning: At the end of the evening, the mellow vibe dramatically changes. As all of the artworks are displayed and people identify the pieces they want, the competition begins. When more than one person wants a work, a drawing is held, and emotions can run high.

The good news is that even those who don’t “win” the work they want can still connect with the artist to stay in touch.

We can’t wait for Drawn Together to see, as Shannon says, “how style gets melded with inspiration.”

Tickets to Drawn Together are limited and selling fast! Buy yours online. 

You can see more of Shannon Taylor's art, and listen to an interview with her, at The Jealous Curator blog.

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C.J. Hirschfield has served for 16 years as the executive director of Children’s Fairyland, where she is charged with the overall operation of the nation’s oldest storybook theme park.