Make it at The Meadows Museum

Artist Ian O’Brien leads classes in the galleries for adults, children

The Meadows Museum’s Drawing With The Masters group meets at the top of the stairs.

There they gather folding chairs and art supplies if needed and are then guided into a side or main gallery depending on the size of the group. 

A particular painting is chosen, and everyone picks a spot, sits down, and gets to work. Taught since 2010 by Ian O’Brien, who has a master’s degree in studio art, classes often sell out.

“I teach them how to take something complicated and break it down into simple shapes, then slowly build up the detail, so it’s not overwhelming,” O’Brien explained. “Working that way helps those who are maybe not as confident.”

A recent Sunday drew the average of 25 drawers.

“We were averaging around seven to 10, but because of social media and promotion, our numbers have kind of exploded,” he said. “I can get a range from somebody who hasn’t drawn in 30 years to somebody who is a retired architect. I have some regulars who have been coming for over 10 years.”

O’Brien teaches the basics — proportion, composition, value — and assists the art students as desired.

“Some people want to figure it out on their own; others want lots of help,” he said. “If you don’t ask me, I’m just going to smile and nod.”

Anne Kindseth, Meadow’s director of education, noted the difference between coming to a museum to engage with an object and finding community.

“Ian has a bit of a following,” she said. “I think that speaks to the power of being in a museum and interacting with not only a work of art but a human — an artist — and to do that with likeminded people.”

There’s also a children’s class.

“Sometimes they’ll do what we’re doing,” O’Brien said. “Sometimes they start drawing animals. The important thing to me is that they’re drawing and improving.”

Added Carrie Sanger, assistant director of marketing. “The kids’ classes are not drop-off classes. They’re made for kids and parents together.”

Open Studio, another program, also welcomes families.

“It creates a more robust program for families to come and do air-brushed totes or mosaics or whatever before they go do Drawing With The Masters,” Kindseth said. “I feel like, as an adult, I don’t get enough time to just make things the way I did as a kid.”