A continuous stream of art lovers entered the building at 1509 Marshall Street NE, best known as the former home of Fletcher’s Ice Cream, Saturday, Dec. 17. They were there for the Monster Drawing Rally, put on by Midway Contemporary Arts (MCA), the new building owner.
In this case, monster meant “huge,” not beastly such as Godzilla or Frankenstein.
It was MCA’s 12th drawing rally, the first they’ve held since 2019, and the first in their new digs. Sixty artists donated an hour of their time and talents to the event; it was a fundraiser for MCA, a nonprofit organization that began in St. Paul’s Midway district in 2001.
Megan McCready, MCA deputy director, said the organization held its first rally in 2008. It was patterned after a similar event in San Francisco. “We got their permission to use the name,” she said.
Artists spread out along tables in an upstairs room, which soon became an impromptu art gallery. Some, like Ryan Gerald Nelson, worked quickly, producing many 11 x 14-inch sheets of art. On one piece, he patiently daubed a piece of paper with dots from an upended laser toner cartridge. He then placed another sheet of paper over it and touched it up with a hot iron. Others, like Melissa Cook Benson, labored over a single piece, a pencil drawing of a Roman statue.
Onlookers kept a respectful distance as the artists drew, cut paper, glued or painted.
As the pieces were finished, MAC volunteers placed them in plastic bags and displayed them on the walls. All pieces sold for $35. “That’s what we charged at our first rally, and it’s still what we charge now,” said McCready.
If two people wanted to purchase the same artwork, they were asked to pick a card from a deck. The person with the high card was the winner. “It’s a way of leveling the playing field,” McCready explained.
At the end of each hour, a new shift of artists climbed the stairs and took their places at the tables. Among the participants were Northeast artists Hend Al-Mansour, Leslie Barlow, Peter Driessen, Christopher Harrison, Piotr Szyhalski and Bruce Tapola.
MCA directors hoped to raise $5,000-6,000 during the event. They’ll put the money toward renovation of their building. They plan to hold exhibits this summer and fall. They will also move their 10,000-volume contemporary art research library from 201 Sixth St. SE to Marshall Street.
Article by Cynthia Sowden – will appear in the Northeaster newspaper January 11, 2023. Used with permission. Photos by Cynthia Sowden