The Sketchbook Project World Tour

Starred review from May 15, 2015

Cofounded by Steven Peterman, the Sketchbook Project debuted in 2006, inviting participants to fill a sketchbook and send it to the organization, which makes them available to the public and houses them permanently at the Brooklyn Art Library. The project encourages both neophytes and accomplished artists to become involved, and this publication presented by Steven and special projects manager Sara Elands Peterman reflects the group's dedication to allowing anyone, regardless of skill level, to explore visual arts. The collection contains more than 32,000 sketchbooks; some of this work has been gathered into its first publication. The volume includes a brief history of the project and of the "World Tour," as well as the headline act, selections from the sketchbooks and is organized by continent, with full-color reproductions of exquisite quality. The focus is on the drawings, featuring enough text to prevent readers from losing their place. Selected artist profiles are provided. VERDICT The potential audience for this title is vast; the international scope and spare text make it an ideal coffee-table book; it would also work well as a collection of writing prompts. For YA collections in which there's a strong interest in graphic novels or visual arts, general visual arts collections, or any art library with an open or current collection. Fans of the PostSecret project and its associated books will love this as well.--Hanna Clutterbuck, Harvard Univ. Lib., Cambridge, MA

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