Join us for a FREE two-day family-friendly event filled with fun, inspiring drawing activities!
The St. Louis Artists' Guild is proud to host The Big Draw Festival again in St. Louis! The Big Draw is the world’s largest celebration of drawing, bringing people together through the power of creativity.
Participation Raffle
“Big Draw Bingo”
All Activities are Free and Open to the Public!
Finish Three Activities on the Bingo Card
Show Activity Leader to Gain a Sticker for Each Activity.
Once You Have Three Activity Stickers Show a STLAG Employee to be Entered into Raffle.
You Do Not Have to be Present to Win.
Tag us to Show Your stunning creations!
Instagram: @stlartistsguild
Raffle Prizes
1.Basket of Art Supplies and a Certificate for $200 to use for a STLAG Workshop or Class!
2. $150 to use for a STLAG Workshop or Class!
3. A $25 Gift Card to Taco Buddha!
4. A $10 Giftcard to Comet Coffee
5. A $10 Giftcard to Comet Coffee
6. A $10 Giftcard to Comet Coffee
Scheduled Big Draw Activities
The Joy of Pancakes - Saturday, 9AM- 12PM - Get a custom pancake made by the Joy of Pancakes!
Caricatures by Emma White - Saturday, 10AM-2PM - Get a free caricature by Emma White done!
Drawn Outdoors (at the Hanley House) - Sunday, 1- 3PM - Get some fresh air and sketch at the Hanley House Park with Mel Tychonievich. Hanley Park is just two blocks north west of the Guild at 7600 Westmoreland Ave.
Register For A Free Hands-On Drawing Workshop
Discover the joy of drawing at one of our free, hands-on workshops during the Big Draw Festival!
Led by local artists and educators, these welcoming sessions are designed for all ages and experience levels, from complete beginners to lifelong creatives.
Explore new techniques, experiment with different materials, and build confidence through fun, engaging activities.
Registration is required, but no prior experience is required.
(For Ages 16 + Up)
Saturday, September 12
9 AM - 10:30 AM
Powder Play: Graphite Without Limits
Instructor: Zackary Petot
11 AM - 12:30 PM
Drawing Through Removal
Instructor: James Hendrix
1 PM - 2:30 PM
Adventures in Cross-Contour
Instructor: Mel Tychonievich
3 PM - 4:30 PM
Bird Drawing Essentials
Instructor: May Jernigan
Powder Play: Graphite Without Limits
$0.00
Discover the expressive possibilities of powdered graphite in this hands-on workshop. Learn how to create rich values, soft gradients, and dramatic textures using brushes, blending tools, and your hands. Perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike, this workshop invites participants to experiment, play, and see drawing in a whole new way.
Drawing Through Removal
$0.00
What happens when erasing becomes the creative act? In this hands-on workshop, participants will begin by covering their paper with charcoal before using erasers and subtractive techniques to reveal a new image. Explore value, atmosphere, texture, and expressive mark-making while discovering how light can emerge from darkness. Perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike, this workshop invites you to rethink the drawing process and make your mark by taking it away.
Adventures in Cross Contour
$0.00
Discover a new way of seeing through cross-contour drawing. In this beginner-friendly workshop, you'll learn how simple curved lines can describe the form, volume, and surface of everyday objects.
Bird Drawing Essentials
$0.00
Learn the basics of drawing birds in this beginner-friendly workshop. Explore simple techniques for sketching bird shapes, proportions, feathers, and details while building your observation skills. Perfect for beginners and anyone who enjoys nature and drawing.
Sunday, September 13
9 AM - 10:30 PM
Building a Better Drawing
Instructor: Susan Bostwick
11 AM - 12:30 PM
Ink Drawing Techniques
Instructor: Danny Houk
Building a Better Drawing
$0.00
Whether you are seasoned or new to drawing, this workshop will remind & guide you through steps to create a vibrant drawing.
Working from a still life we will begin with a quick sketch or gesture to establish composition, followed by refining perspective and scale, and then fine tuning by looking at the negative space. We will dive into value and pull-out highlights; always looking at the whole composition.
Ink Drawing Techniques
$0.00
Explore the basics of ink drawing in this beginner-friendly workshop. Learn simple techniques for hatching, cross-hatching, shading, and contrast while experimenting with pens and ink.
Posed at Night
Saturday, September 12 | 4 - 7 PM
Join us for the evening to draw two models Posed in the gallery! We will be pulling inspiration from Norman Rockwell and Franz Kupka for each model. Each model will start out with some short poses and then end with a long pose.
Light Refreshments will be provided for the evening.
Posed at Night at the Big Draw
$30.00
Posed is a live drawing and painting event in the gallery where regional artists come together to work from two models draped en scene. The public is encouraged to stop by the gallery for this free event to see the artist’s work in progress.
Artists who wish to participate in the event are encouraged to register prior to the event to secure a spot. Walk-ins are welcome based on availability. There is a $30 artist registration fee.
The Big Draw Sidewalk Chalk Competition
September 13, 2026 | 9AM - 2:30PM
The Big Draw Sidewalk Chalk Competition is an event where artists gather to draw with chalk medium on the sidewalk. Each artist will be assigned a 4’ x 4’ square and draw within a family friendly appropriate theme.
Prizes:
1st Place Award: $500
2nd Place Award: $250 3rd Place Award: $150
4th Place Award: $50 5th Place Award: $50
Honorable Mention: $25 Blick Gift Certificate
Honorable Mention: $25 Blick Gift Certificate
The Big Draw Sidewalk Chalk Competition Entry
• If reproducing an image originally created by another artist (living or deceased), it is important to credit the original artist and the title at the base of your painting.
$35.00
Competition Guidelines and Rules
Chalk
• ONE box of Pastel Chalk will be provided for registered artists.
• If you need additional colors, you may share or exchange chalk with other artists.
• You may also purchase or use your own chalk but it MUST be water washable.
• All unused chalk is yours to keep or please return to the Artist Check-in area.
Artist
• Only registered artists may participate. Payment must accompany registration.
• All artists must read, agree to an Artists Disclaimer & Waiver when you checkout to participate.
• Art square spaces will be assigned at registration by the STLAG Chalk Art Staff upon checkin.
• Artists can begin as early as 9am and should be finished by 2:30pm on Saturday for Judging.
• Artists must be 16 years or older.
ART & ARTIST RULES
• The event will go on rain or shine. The artists are responsible for protecting their chalk art. Plastic drapes, tape, tents, or canopies can be used as needed.
• Chalk art is only to be produced in designated and assigned areas. Size of concrete area will be 4’ x 4’
• The art created must be suitable for public and family viewing (no nude or lewd work).
• No words, symbols, or caricatures intended as political statements may appear within the art.
• Art created must be culturally sensitive and appropriate, respecting the diversity promoted in our community program.
• Chalk art depicting or intended as an advertisement for a business, product, or service is not allowed.
• No banners, products, samples, or promotional brochures are allowed. Artists MAY hand out business cards.
• STLAG CHALK ART STAFF reserves the right to refuse, stop or eliminate objectionable art or art not consistent with rules.
• Please try to keep your supplies to a minimum and well contained in your space.
• No boom boxes are allowed. You may wear portable headsets.
• No pets, please!
• Your chalk art must only include chalk. Any non chalk props or items used in the artwork will exclude art from judging. No business advertisements in the form of brochures or signage will be allowed in the main categories.
• The Big Draw Festival is a TOBACCO FREE Event. Artists using tobacco will be excluded from judging.
• Use of fixatives is prohibited.
• Chalks purchased outside of the festival must be WATER washable. No oil pastels or other mediums allowed.
• Unless a second chalk space has been purchased all art must stay contained in your own section, no exceptions.
• If reproducing an image originally created by another artist (living or deceased), it is important to credit the original artist and the title at the base of your painting.
• Cancellation prior to 72 hours before will not get a refund.
IN CASE OF RAIN
Event will go on Rain or Shine! It will be the responsibility of the artists to cover their own drawings with the tarps or large sheets of plastic and weigh it down. Only in case of severe weather, the event may be canceled.
Juror: Bryan Walsh
Bryan Walsh is an abstract painter based in St. Louis, MO, USA. He has maintained a studio practice on Cherokee Street since 2008. He is a co-founder of the Screwed Arts Collective, and since 2013 has shared the Screwed Arts studio with fellow Collective members and others. In February 2024, he opened Fifteen Windows Gallery on Cherokee Street, showcasing contemporary work by both St. Louis-based artists and artists from around the U.S. Since 2019, he has been the Artist Coordinator for Paint Louis, the international graffiti festival. He is also a 2012 graduate of the Regional Arts Commission’s Community Arts Training Institute (CAT).
Competition Guidelines and Rules
Chalk
• ONE box of Pastel Chalk will be provided for registered artists.
• If you need additional colors, you may share or exchange chalk with other artists.
• You may also purchase or use your own chalk but it MUST be water washable.
• All unused chalk is yours to keep or please return to the Artist Check-in area.
Artist
• Only registered artists may participate. Payment must accompany registration.
• All artists must read, agree to an Artists Disclaimer & Waiver when you checkout to participate.
• Art square spaces will be assigned at registration by the STLAG Chalk Art Staff upon checkin.
• Artists can begin as early as 9am and should be finished by 2:30pm on Saturday for Judging.
• Artists must be 16 years or older.
ART & ARTIST RULES
• The event will go on rain or shine. The artists are responsible for protecting their chalk art. Plastic drapes, tape, tents, or canopies can be used as needed.
• Chalk art is only to be produced in designated and assigned areas. Size of concrete area will be 4’ x 4’
• The art created must be suitable for public and family viewing (no nude or lewd work).
• No words, symbols, or caricatures intended as political statements may appear within the art.
• Art created must be culturally sensitive and appropriate, respecting the diversity promoted in our community program.
• Chalk art depicting or intended as an advertisement for a business, product, or service is not allowed.
• No banners, products, samples, or promotional brochures are allowed. Artists MAY hand out business cards.
• STLAG CHALK ART STAFF reserves the right to refuse, stop or eliminate objectionable art or art not consistent with rules.
• Please try to keep your supplies to a minimum and well contained in your space.
• No boom boxes are allowed. You may wear portable headsets.
• No pets, please!
• Your chalk art must only include chalk. Any non chalk props or items used in the artwork will exclude art from judging. No business advertisements in the form of brochures or signage will be allowed in the main categories.
• The Big Draw Festival is a TOBACCO FREE Event. Artists using tobacco will be excluded from judging.
• Use of fixatives is prohibited.
• Chalks purchased outside of the festival must be WATER washable. No oil pastels or other mediums allowed.
• Unless a second chalk space has been purchased all art must stay contained in your own section, no exceptions.
• If reproducing an image originally created by another artist (living or deceased), it is important to credit the original artist and the title at the base of your painting.
• Cancellation prior to 72 hours before will not get a refund.
IN CASE OF RAIN
Event will go on Rain or Shine! It will be the responsibility of the artists to cover their own drawings with tarps or large sheets of plastic, or possibly tents and weigh it down. Only in case of severe weather, the event may be canceled.
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