For centuries, museums of the world opened their doors to aspiring artists and architects — by sketching what they saw, students learned through intimate observation of classic paintings and sculpture.  

This semester, the Michael C. Carlos Museum continues that tradition with its popular Friday evening "Drawing from the Past" events, which invite artists of all skill levels into the museum to sketch the classics.  

The session will focus upon a collection of more than 200 plaster casts taken from great works of art and architecture from around the world that were incorporated into public spaces of the building by Carlos Museum architect Michael Graves.  

Writing in a recent New York Times opinion column, "Architecture and the Lost Art of Drawing," Graves notes a profound value in the act of drawing: "Drawings are not just end products: they are part of the thought process of architectural design," he writes. "Drawings express the interaction of our minds, eyes and hands … our physical and mental interactions with drawings are formative acts."  

The event, which will take place over three evenings, will also feature commentary and guidance from Atlanta artist and award-winning architect Lane Duncan. The first evening, Friday, Jan. 18, will focus on graphite and charcoal. The remaining evenings, Feb. 8 and March 1, will employ watercolor.  

Participants must be able to attend all three evenings. Materials will be provided.  

Due to space constraints, class sizes are limited to 16 participants and registration is required. To reserve a space, contact Elizabeth Hornor, director of education programs, at ehornor@emory.edu or 404-727-6118.