By 8 p.m., music from the Second Revolution’s DJ emanated from the print studio, filling the entire top floor of Hege-Cox with pulsating beats as the nude models stood perched in stillness. The artists hunched over pads of paper, gazing up to the models and back down again, intently sketching their subjects, leaving their left brains far away. Clutching my pad of charcoal paper in one hand, and my canvas in the other, I maneuvered to the painting studio to set up for my first Draw-A-Thon experience.

Feb. 20 marked the 4th annual Draw-A-Thon, organized by senior CCE art major Kathleen Kennedy for the second time in a row. As a student-run event, she was passed the torch from Kay Kelley’08, who first started the event at Guilford.

“This event is easy to plan,” said Kennedy. “It’s not hard to find people willing to take their clothes off at Guilford.”

Pedestals and boxes covered in drapery were set up in each of the three studios, with two to three nude models carefully poised atop each stand.

“I let the models choose their own poses,” said Kennedy. “There is long history of models being objectified in the art world, so I want to make sure that each model has agency to choose how they are depicted.”

For this event, the models get to personally experience their role in the creation of art.

“While standing in the pose, you can glimpse people’s work, and see an entirely different version of yourself on each page,” said Mariah Mahoney, a junior CCE student who modeled for the event. “It’s great that Guilford has an event where nude models are accessible for the whole community.”

The event is not only open to Guilford students. Faculty and students from neighboring colleges, such as UNCG and Bennett College, make the trek to participate in the Draw-A-Thon. While painting and wandering from studio to studio, I saw plenty of unfamiliar faces, many of whom were professional artists from the local area.

“When I started the Draw-A-Thon at Guilford, it seemed like a great way to build an art community in the local area,” said Kelley.

She mentioned how when she attended Pratt for a year, she went to a similar event from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.

“It was a pivotal moment for me, and my skills improved tenfold,” said Kelley. “Also, bodies are much more interesting to draw than a still life.”

“The complexity of shape and size in all bodies are great to learn from,” she said as students whisked in from outside holding plates chock-full of pineapple and Swiss cheese.

The event is set up so that some models hold shorter 10- or 30-minute poses, while others hold one- to three-hour poses. Since I wanted to tackle a painting, I selected a three-hour pose to observe for my first experience rendering the nude.

“The nude is the classic drawing subject, going back for thousands of year,” said Assistant Professor of Art David Newton. “Once you render it, you can’t just walk past the Greek statues casually without a deeper understanding of what it took to create it.

Nervousness and fear of the daunting task emerged in the back of my mind as I pulled out my canvas, but then quickly faded away once I became completely absorbed with my fleshy pallet and quick brush strokes.

The DJ switched on a Gorillaz track, “Dare.” For an artist, nothing compares to the synesthesia that occurs when the upbeat rhythms radiate from your ears to the hairs of your brush. I never create in silence.

Students, faculty, and models all commented on how much the live music created an essential atmosphere. Kennedy remarked that the music for the event is a crucial component. When proposing the Draw-A-Thon to Senate, she emphasized the need to pay for live music.

“There are studies that indicate the intense effect that music has on art,” Kennedy said at the Senate meeting.

In a later interview, she explained to me how intense fast-paced rhythms will change the speed and pace that an artist draws.

By 10 p.m., the MCs from the Second Revolution started their show. Their political messages echoed through the walls as they preached against “the system that made the rules.”

Gillian Galdy, a junior who nude modeled for the event, expressed how difficult it was to model with all the exciting stimulation.

“When I heard the live music, I just wanted to get up and jam with my friends, and hang out, but I had to remain still,” said Galdy. “It’s really hard work sitting still for long periods of time.”

Although the models may have experienced some discomfort, artists commented on the luxury of having long poses.

“As a horrifically slow artist, it was great to have that extent of time to work,” said first-year Patrick Hyland.

Students and faculty who attended the Draw-A-Thon agreed that it provides a great opportunity for any student who may not be art major but wants to experiment.

Kennedy reiterated how much she wants to encourage people who think they can’t draw to come to the event.

“Once you’re in the atmosphere it will inspire you to draw more,” Kennedy said.

“This event expresses Guilford’s love for equality and community,” said Kelley. “Since there is no classroom hierarchy, the faculty are here drawing just like your peers.