Binghamton University will host its sixth annual Drawing Marathon this week.

Located in the Old Champlain Atrium, the competition will commence at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 and conclude at 10 a.m. the following day. 10 artists have been selected to create charcoal figure drawings on 72-inch by 48-inch paper, including four current BU students, four BU alumni, one current SUNY Cortland student and one local artist. The drawings will be based on a model who will pose for the competition. Breaks will be built into the 24-hour challenge, though the majority of the time will be devoted to drawing.

Contestants will compete for three prizes — the $1000 jury prize, $500 people’s prize and a bundle of art supplies that will be provided by the BU Fine Arts Society. The public, whose feedback will be evaluated to determine the winner of the people’s prize, may visit the artists at work during the competition.

The Drawing Marathon was founded in 2016 by Blažo Kovačević, juror of the Marathon and associate professor of art and design. Kovačević founded the event on the principles of inclusion and artistic distinction.

“I started the Drawing Marathon in 2016 as an exciting and challenging platform for a 24-hour open call regional art competition as a mode of professional practice,” Kovačević wrote in an email. “I learned through my teaching process that artists come from all backgrounds to Binghamton, so I decided to be very inclusive, with only one goal — artistic excellence.”

The marathon is sponsored by the department of art and design, the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, the Center for Learning and Teaching and United Health Services (UHS). In addition to providing an opportunity for professional and artistic growth, the Drawing Marathon aims to share the process of creating art with the University and the Greater Binghamton area.

“I started this experiment in part to allow the general public, especially the [BU] community, to peek into the creative process of art-making, aiming to foster an appreciation for art and artists,” Kovačević wrote.

The two other jurors include Kelli Smith, acting director of the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development and assistant vice president for student success, and Christina Boyd, vice president of community relations at UHS.

Smith expressed enthusiasm for the Drawing Marathon, as she is a first-time juror for the event.

“Primarily, I love unique opportunities to support and celebrate our many students with artistic and creative talent, and this provides a wonderful one for them to further develop and showcase their skills,” Smith wrote. “As a former liberal arts student myself, I gained a strong appreciation for the arts, so it is meaningful for that reason, too. But there is yet another reason this particular program is meaningful — it brings together student, alumni and local community artists.”

Juliette Sakmar Aberg, participating artist and an undeclared sophomore, described the Drawing Marathon as a unique challenge for all artists involved.

“The concept of a 24-hour drawing marathon seems daunting, but it is also one of those rare opportunities to surround yourself with other artists in a challenging and competitive space,” Sakmar Aberg wrote. “Whenever I am creating art, I feel completely focused and get lost in the process. It is one of the reasons I love creating so much. So, the marathon seems like the perfect event to foster [this] focus while also pushing myself in this high-stress scenario.”

Samantha Ballin, a participating artist, president of the Art Co-Op and a junior double-majoring in English and art, expressed her anticipation to observe great works of art.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing what everyone creates by the end of the marathon,” Ballin wrote. “I love that artists never see things the same way, so it’s really exciting to know that there will be some amazing pieces to admire at the end of a difficult event.”

Kovačević hopes that the Drawing Marathon will not only highlight the caliber of Binghamton artists, but also bring people together around art.

“For me, the Drawing Marathon represents a pinnacle of the constant uphill battle to bring attention to drawing as an essential artistic expression,” Kovačević wrote. “It is an opportunity to meet new artists, test our students’ abilities and have some old students back for a reunion and a good time.”

The Drawing Marathon will be streamed on Zoom, displaying real-time progress of each artist’s work. The livestream will begin at 10 a.m. on Sept. 30. The stream can be accessed at the link here.