York County museum’s animal exhibits spark artists’ creativity

Beside a life-sized elephant standing tall behind a glass exhibit, Winthrop University art student Joshua Hollis sketches his second version of a lion.

Retired illustrator Herbert Dumaresq with the Catawba River Guild paints a dama gazelle and oryx while illustrator Christopher Doehling sketches a hyrax on his tablet.

The visitors at the York County Museum – professional artists and artistic children alike – gathered for the museum’s third annual “Come Draw With Me” on Saturday to sketch, paint and sculpt their versions of the natural history exhibits.

Winthrop student Chandler Freudenberg, 21, stretched out her legs and began drawing a cape buffalo in one of the exhibits.

“I started playing video games and that sparked the imagination,” the Clemson resident said about her love of art.

Museum Education Program Manager Cynthia Spratley said the museum created the program to bring the arts and sciences together for a family-friendly event.

Ten-year-old Emily Grant floated between rooms painting and sculpting as her mom, Candi Grant, watched nearby.

After sculpting a turtle with clay, Emily Grant made her way to a long, dark hallway filled with animals to sketch. The mother and daughter duo traveled from Columbia to attend the event, which they found out about online.

Matt Andrews, a 2012 Winthrop graduate, said he is drawn to the event because it is a good excuse to use the paints and materials he has left over from his studies at Winthrop.

Andrew attracted a crowd of onlookers as he painted a buffalo perched under a tree in a shady room. He doesn’t intend on keeping it for himself, however.

“I’m always willing to part ways with what I make,” he said.

This story was originally published January 17, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "York County museum’s animal exhibits spark artists’ creativity."