The Brooklyn Art Library in New York City houses the Sketchbook Project, a collection of handcrafted books created by artists worldwide. Anyone can buy a sketchbook from the library, and upon filling it, return it to be cataloged in the library. The public can check out any sketchbook as one would check out items in any other public library. Arguably we are living through a time when it’s important to have such a space, a place to share unique expressions of experience that further inform our visual literacy and understanding of one another’s priorities. Our culture suffers painful divisions, manifesting in violence and contempt as we saw many times in 2020, and more recently in the halls of our Capitol. A library honoring diversity of experience and celebrating uniqueness highlights what is still best in our culture, and what, in the end, can help save us.
Participating in community and cultural opportunities such as the Sketchbook Library can help to inoculate a society from the callousness and cynicism we currently suffer, helping to maintain our democracy through civic engagement, and in turn, keeping a type of check on political power. For example, creating a piece of art to share freely with others is similar in nature to sharing groceries with the food bank, not as a hand-out, but as solidarity, in honor of our common interest as a people. Food Not Bombs front man Keith McHenry states, “Sharing food for free without restriction is a revolutionary act in a culture devoted to profit. Sharing food, clothing, time, and compassion with no expectation has a powerful political impact.” The Brooklyn Art Library exists as a counterpoint to the obsession with profit, selfishness and cynicism rampant in American culture, instead offering us “humans telling stories” in a “global time capsule to help articulate our collective and creative thoughts.”
It matters that we engage in civic activity and take care of others because our futures and our well-being are tied together. As we near the one year mark of community closures, we see how cooperating is in our best interests, behaving responsibly so others can keep earning a living and the most vulnerable are not further compromised.
The Sketchbook Project, and art in general, specifically reminds us that everyone has unique experiences and impressions to share that do not necessarily match our own, but are no less valid. I encourage you to take a virtual tour through the sketchbooks, while remembering the spectrum of experiences that help us accept and enjoy a variety of interpretations.
The images above are from my own submissions but you can see thousands more digitalized sketchbooks on the website including work that is painted, collaged, cut, and much more.
