Artist Sarah Osorio, heart, connects and creates with fellow artists throughout Excessive Distinction’s weekly drawing classes hosted at eyedrum gallery. (Images by Dustin Timbrook)
On July 15, greater than two dozen visible artists gathered in Atlanta’s eyedrum gallery, working from sunset into the early hours of the morning. Huddled round tables stacked excessive with pens, brushes, tablets and books, some had been busy sketching whereas others put ending touches on their work. For a lot of creatives, this type of all-nighter is the anxious symptom of a looming deadline, however, for the members of Excessive Distinction, this was simply one other informal Tuesday night time.
“It’s like one of the best day of my week,” stated illustrator Joe Havasy as he drafted thumbnails on unfastened leaf paper. “I get to see all my associates which can be artists they usually encourage me and push me to go more durable and do extra fascinating work.”
Based in December of 2023 by artistic multi-hyphenate Dosa Kim, Excessive Distinction started as a treatment to feeling remoted or depressed whereas creating. “It was simply lonely,” stated Kim, describing his return to Atlanta’s artwork scene after a number of years of dwelling and dealing as an idea artist in California. “Being in LA, it’s simply extra neighborhood based mostly . . . After I bought again right here I simply didn’t discover that.”
Kim’s resolution was easy — begin a weekly drawing group. He started by internet hosting modest classes in his personal studio on the co-working facility Artwork & INDUSTRY. “At first it was one individual named Eemer who confirmed up. After which earlier than you realize it, Raz confirmed up. After which it began to snowball from there.” And snowball it did. Within the year-and-a-half since its inception, Excessive Distinction has constructed a loyal and enthusiastic contingent. Lots of its regulars not often miss a Tuesday night time session. “It’s nearly like church,” stated Kim.
The congregation ranges from seasoned avenue artwork veterans who rib one another playfully to bright-eyed upstarts who change suggestions for his or her favourite tutorial books. Uniting all of them is a spirit of sharing — methods, supplies, meals and even alternatives. Nobody medium or model defines the enterprise. Some artists follow drafting in perspective whereas others discover hand-lettering with parallel pens. Some render impartial natural kinds in charcoal or paint whereas their neighbors conjure neon-soaked illustrations with digital tablets. Those that don’t draw come geared up with crafting provides, snacks or good dialog.
A guiding tenet of checking your ego on the door retains the power of Excessive Distinction heat and welcoming. It’s a precept that alleviates a lot of the anxiousness newer artists really feel about others judging their work whereas additionally permitting artistic professionals to pursue concepts free from the pressures and constraints of their company day jobs.
A kind of professionals is graphic designer Leah Abucayan, who spent the night sketching stylized portraits of her groupmates. “I really feel like Excessive Distinction forces you to do one thing for enjoyable only for your self. You’re round people who find themselves doing the identical factor — one thing non-competitive,” she stated.
Like many members, Abucayan’s expertise with the collective extends past the Tuesday night time meet-ups and into particular occasions organized by Kim. The next Saturday she would compete in a high-energy Ink Battle earlier than a crowd of tons of of excited Dragon Con attendees. Her opponent? Good friend and Excessive Distinction longtimer Raz.
These auxiliary alternatives play a serious position in constructing members up. A number of painters bought their first stab at a public wall in the course of the Atlanta Crossroads Mural Pageant, co-organized by Kim with native muralist Chris Wright. The Fortuna Artwork Present (Might 2025) exhibited every creator’s distinctive model by way of a collaborative customized tarot deck. Some initiatives, like a community-illustrated scroll and a Secret Santa artwork change, are much less public-facing however nonetheless assist to foster emotional understanding and long-term connections between artists.
“Virtually each venture that we do, we guarantee that we symbolize like 20% brand-new expertise,” Kim stated. “It doesn’t really feel such as you’re amongst gods or something like that. We’re all a bunch of dorks working round attempting to determine what we’re making and stuff. In order that’s enjoyable.”
Excessive Distinction has a transgressive and revolutionary social media aesthetic — stark photocopied flyer designs, balaclavas as motif — however the prevailing power within the area is one among kindness, acceptance and generosity. Though Kim by no means explicitly referred to the association as a household, that relationship dynamic was palpable. Midway by way of the occasion, Kim lit candles on a chocolate cake, delivering it to 2 grinning members of the collective. Mates gathered round to sing completely satisfied birthday, slices had been handed across the room and the artmaking carried on. It was a special day, nevertheless it felt like one thing that may occur right here each week. One thing deeply human.
As midnight handed by, the group unfurled their lengthy paper scroll and continued a months-long technique of filling yard after yard with spontaneous drawings and textual content, solely to roll it again up and tuck it away till the following gathering. Why make investments a lot time and power into a chunk too massive to totally show? Kim hinted at a proof when relaying his dismay about generative AI’s disruptive impact on artistic careers.
“, I bought actually defeated once I noticed the writing on the wall. I used to be like, ‘Rattling, this sucks.’ However, by the identical token, there’s all these folks right here,” he stated. “They’re not doing it for every other cause however to get with like-minded those who prefer to make issues. It’s a testomony that people are going to be doing what people do. It’s sort of superior.”
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Dustin Timbrook is a artistic generalist working in artwork, movie and music. He volunteers on the board of administrators for Avondale Arts Alliance. Timbrook loves spending time together with his household, taking part in with canines and gardening.