The Brunnier Art Museum is hosting open studio life drawing sessions tonight and throughout the semester as an alternative art program in conjunction with the Christian Petersen celebration at Iowa State.

“We decided to hold the sessions because the context of the present Christian Petersen exhibit being held,” said Matt DeLay, museum education director and curator. “Petersen emphasized the human figure, as do our studio sessions.”

Jackie Wilson, education assistant for the university museums, said participants will be provided with a live model and a drawing board. Participants are required to bring their own drawing material.

Dean Biechler, adjunct instructor of liberal arts and sciences cross disciplinary studies, said the program is a great chance to draw the human body and a great experience to take advantage of. “The human body is something people are so familiar with they actually have a hard time drawing it and relating to it,” he said. “This allows people a good experience to capture the essence of the human form.”

DeLay said the skills one learns from drawing are valuable in other areas of life. “Drawing helps with looking skills,” he said. “The relationship between looking at art and understanding their environment gets better with skill and practice.”

Drawing allows people to look at their environment and the people around them with more accuracy and precision, DeLay said.

DeLay said each of the art events will be in the Brunnier Art Museum with the room number available at the museum desk. He said the sessions will last from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. tonight and on Nov. 16, Nov. 30 and Dec. 7. “People that have inhibitions about their drawing should know this is an open and disarming environment,” DeLay said. “This is a supportive environment. They don’t need to share their work; just come out and try drawing to get better.”

Wilson said the program is very open.

“There is no need to be intimidated by this,” she said. “It’s just a group of people that get together to enjoy drawing without judgment.”