This past Friday, the department of art and design kicked off their 24 Hour Draw-A-Thon. The Draw-A-Thon took place from 10 a.m. on Friday to 10 a.m. on Saturday, with 20 students completing charcoal drawings on 4-foot by 5-foot surfaces in the painting studio of the Fine Arts Building, room 358. The Draw-A-Thon was sponsored by the department of art and design, the Art Co-Op, Harpur’s Edge and Celsius. The first-place winner was awarded $500, the second-place winner was awarded $250 and the third-place winner received a basket of fine arts supplies.

Jordan Kornreich, co-organizer of the 24 Hour Draw-A-Thon and lecturer in the department of art and design, explained the process of setting up for the marathon.

“In retrospect, it’s difficult to determine where setting up for this event truly started,” Kornreich wrote in an email. “Getting the room ready for the event was only a part of what has been a fairly involved process. Arranging the still life was sculptural by nature, which is often how I approach setting things up for making two-dimensional work from as a point of reference. This was a fairly physical task that took the better part of eight or so hours, with some help from the [department of art and design] Student Advisory Committee.”

In the center of Fine Arts 358 stood a massive still-life arrangement which the artists drew from. Some of the items in the still-life included two life-sized skeletons, glass bottles, fake fruits, fabrics and musical instruments. Lots of people came in and out of the room to observe the artists at work. In the front of the room, donations were being accepted for a nonperishable item drive that the Draw-A-Thon was also hosting. Celsius provided drinks at the event for the participants as well.

Madison Mark, a student advisory representative for the Student Advisory and a senior double-majoring in social work and art and design, highlighted her reasons for participating in the Draw-A-Thon.

“I have a few reasons for participating in the drawing marathon — to challenge my own abilities as an artist and to ensure the event runs smoothly,” Mark wrote. “In addition to these, there are other goals for the marathon. One is to collect nonperishable donations for the local food pantries of Binghamton, which are at a record low this year. Additionally, we aim to provide a space where artists can overcome challenges and feel more confident in their abilities.”

In-person voting for the Draw-A-Thon took place starting at 4 p.m. on Friday. Attendees were welcome to come and cast their vote for who they thought should win, with the student-voted artist receiving the second place prize. Online voting for this started at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Sarah Nance, assistant professor of integrated practice in the department of art and design, DeCarlo Logan, lecturer of art and design and Francis Chang, lecturer of art and design, were the official judges of the Draw-A-Thon. The three faculty members chose the winners of the first and third place prizes.

Samantha Ballin, president of the Art Co-Op and a senior double-majoring in art and design and English, described what the Draw-A-Thon is all about, as well as her favorite part of the event.

“The 24 hour drawing marathon provides students with a unique opportunity to challenge themselves and is a great way to showcase some of the amazing artists that Binghamton University has to offer,” Ballin wrote in an email. “While the marathon is a competition, I believe that it brings student artists across different disciplines together. I was in the marathon last year and had an amazing time participating, so I was more than eager to help run it this year.”

The Draw-A-Thon concluded with the announcement of the first, second and third place winners, as well as awarding them their prizes. Contestants admired each other’s work and reflected on all they accomplished in the last 24 hours.