Urban Sketchers West Michigan continues local growth, provides outlet to local sketchers

HOLLAND — Marcia Schrotenboer’s start in sketching goes back to her time as the activity director at Freedom Village.

While there, one of her residents would do sketches when they would travel. No matter where they went, that resident carved out time to sketch her memories of the trip.

“I always thought that was cool, but I never thought that was for me,” Schrotenboer said.

Then, while talking to her husband about those sketches, he challenged her to give it a shot herself.

“That was at the end of 2016 and I decided to commit myself to one year of doing something every day,” she said. “It was 365 days of being creative and in a matter of weeks, that turned into urban sketching.”

Pretty soon, Schrotenboer was hooked and heard about Urban Sketchers, a group originally started in 2008 in Seattle. In 2019, Schrotenboer connected with the group's Chicago chapter and meet another local resident also interested in local sketching.

That meeting fueled the flame and, by April 2022, she helped found Urban Sketchers West Michigan.

The idea is simple — it’s a group of local sketchers dedicated to the practice of on-location drawing. The group meets at various locations across the area each month and simply sketches whatever inspires them.

Although the group started small, Schrotenboer said the group has blossomed and now has 575 members.

For members like Donna Bogle, Amy Wolthuis and others, meetings provide an outlet and an opportunity to be creative and get to know the local community through a different lens.

Bogle has been part of the group for about four months. In that short time, she's already seen her work grow and develop. Ultimately, Bogle said it's the people that she enjoys the most.

"They are always so welcoming, so friendly and so nonjudgmental," Bogle said.

Wolthuis first got involved in January after sketching on her own.

"I've been keeping a sketch book for a few years, but have been doing it on my own," she said. "I was looking for community around it and looking to go to places that I wouldn't have chosen on my own. And to do it with other people who are passionate about it."

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Schrotenboer said anyone is welcome to join no matter their age. They have members from under 10 years old up through retirement age.

To learn more, visit Urban Sketchers West Michigan on Facebook or uskwestmichigan on Instagram. To learn about Urban Sketchers as a whole, visit urbansketchers.org.

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Local sketching group growing, providing outlet to sketch artists