SEATTLE, WA.- This winter, the Museum of History & Industry presents Drawn to Seattle: The Work of Gabriel Campanario, featuring sketches of people and places that make Seattle a vibrant urban center. This fascinating exhibition, on view at MOHAI December 21, 2013 – May 26, 2014, opens up the pages of Campanario’s sketchbook to communicate the powerful locations, events, and experiences that have filled his life in Seattle.

Campanario is a journalist, author, and illustrator best known for his award-winning Seattle Times blog and weekly column, “Seattle Sketcher.” In 2009, he founded Urban Sketchers, an online community and nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the art of on-site drawing. Born in Barcelona, Campanario has lived in the Seattle area since 2006. His journalism career has spanned newsrooms in Spain, Portugal, Nevada, California and Virginia. His book, “The Art of Urban Sketching,” was published in 2012 and has been translated into French, Chinese, Korean and German.

“MOHAI is thrilled to showcase the beauty and realism Campanario’s works capture of the Seattle area,” stated Leonard Garfield, MOHAI Executive Director. “In the 1800s, British sailors surveyed the Puget Sound mapping the land and drawing sketches of what they saw. Technology has come a long way since then, but drawing from life remains a powerful way to communicate one’s experiences.”

Campanario expressed his excitement about the exhibit, saying, “I have the privilege of sharing my sketches with Seattle Times readers one week at a time. Now, thanks to MOHAI, a curated selection will be displayed in an amazing venue for everyone to see all at once.” Campanario also stated that he hopes the exhibit “…will inspire others to pick up a sketchbook and start capturing their corners of the city. Sketching is a form of visual documentation that is accessible to all —no easels or expensive oil paints needed!”