Art for all

A red building stretching along the road opposite Marina Beach is unlikely to be missed. The Public Works Department office stands there with its long corridor of arches and an occasional splash of green from the bushes that border the pavement. If you paused for a moment to take it all in, what would you notice? The rhythm of those arches? A dragonfly prancing between the shrubs? A bus rumbling past and cutting the frame of your view?

- DIYA MARIA GEORGE

On a Sunday morning, a group decides to freeze that moment. They sit on portable stools or simply settle on the opposite pavement. Sketchbooks open. Pencils and brushes move quickly. The city slowly turns into lines, curves and blocks of colour on paper.

This is the routine of Urban Sketchers Chennai (USK Chennai). With no entry fees or prerequisites, the group focuses on one mission: to come together and enjoy different pockets of the city. It is a simple effort that has made art accessible to many who once thought that galleries and studios were not for them.