A8
From Border Towns to Cemeteries: The Power of Drawing in Telling Complex Stories
From stories of loss, illness, death and survival, I have used drawing as my way to approach people in vulnerable situations and tell their story. In this lecture, I’ll discuss how drawing from life allows me to do my work as a visual journalist, approaching sensitive subjects with intimacy and respect. Drawing fosters trust and curiosity. I’ll share examples from my recent projects documenting people and towns in the aftermath of a wildfire, border communities and honoring the dead in Oaxaca.
Rita Sabler
Rita Sabler is the author of two books of reportage, “New York Reawakens” and “Listening to New Orleans,” and currently works as a freelance visual journalist for Oregon Public Broadcasting. An award-winning visual journalist, author and educator for more than a decade, Sabler has inspired diverse audiences to cultivate a lifelong passion for travel sketching and reportage. From 2019-2023 she served as the education director on the board of the Urban Sketchers organization. Her reportage about the Kalaupapa Settlement received the International Sketchbook Prize at the 2019 Rendez-Vous du Carnet de Voyage Festival in Clermont-Ferrand.
Instagram @ritasabler