{"id":12393,"date":"2020-01-29T13:57:41","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T21:57:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/hi-lo\/?p=30000006745"},"modified":"2020-01-29T13:57:41","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T21:57:41","slug":"taco-bell-drawing-club-pops-up-in-long-beach-in-honor-of-the-late-artist-illustrator-jason-polan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/taco-bell-drawing-club-pops-up-in-long-beach-in-honor-of-the-late-artist-illustrator-jason-polan","title":{"rendered":"Taco Bell Drawing Club pops up in Long Beach in honor of the late artist, illustrator Jason Polan"},"content":{"rendered":"

When he found out the news of New York-based artist and illustrator Jason Polan\u2019s death at 37<\/a>, local designer Nick Zegel\u2019s first thought was to host a Taco Bell Drawing Club, right here in Long Beach.<\/p>\n

Polan began hosting the weekly drawing club at a Taco Bell near Union Square in 2005, where his friends, fans and social media followers would gather to sketch and socialize, according to The New Yorker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Polan’s quest to draw everyone in New York City<\/a> was well known\u2014he\u2019d drawn more than 36,000 people\u2014while his work has been showcased in museums and galleries worldwide as well as in publications including The New York Times and The New Yorker.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/B71q79-HJjh\/<\/p>\n

Zegel, a transplant from Philadelphia, can\u2019t recall exactly when he first discovered Polan\u2019s work but said it must have been around 2008 or 2009 on Twitter, or an art blog when he was living on the East Coast.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn artist attempting to draw every person in New York City,\u201d Zegel said. \u201cI thought wow, what an awesome idea. The task of drawing every person was impossible until someone set out to do it\u2026 All of a sudden, because of Jason just saying that he would do it, it felt possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zegel, who moved to Long Beach in 2010 to work for Roxy\/Quiksilver, had his own freelance operation on 4th Street and Linden Avenue for a bit, but most recently has begun building a small design studio called NICK.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an art director and graphic designer I’m always doodling and taking notes, but drawing from life can really reveal the world around you. Jason\u2019s work couldn’t be a better representation of this.\u201d<\/p>\n

So tonight, Wednesday, Jan. 29, at a Taco Bell in Downtown Long Beach, Zegel will be there at 5 p.m. with a pad and pen ready to draw and has invited anyone to join in. Depending on tonight\u2019s attendance, Zegel said he\u2019d definitely consider making a Long Beach Taco Bell Drawing Club a regular occurrence.<\/p>\n

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Tonight I\u2019m celebrating the life and work of @jasonpolan<\/a> by hosting and attending my first #tacobelldrawingclub<\/a>. Join me TONIGHT 5-6pm @tacobell<\/a> in #longbeach<\/a> at 228 E 7th St, Long Beach, CA 90813 #jasonpolan<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/F2zc5rfFRS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Jwxig0Difw<\/a><\/p>\n

— Nick Zegel (@nickzegel) January 29, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n