Based on a common desire to strengthen the place of drawing in the field of art, education and society, Tegnerforbundet , together with Sparebankstiftelsen DNB, Art in School and Art and Design in School, have taken the initiative for the Drawing Campaign .
The initiative responds to a situation where drawing is under pressure on several levels. In education, drawing has received less space, and in cultural policy and institutional priorities, drawing as an artistic practice has minimal visibility. At the same time, there is a fundamental change in how images are produced, circulated and understood through digital technology and artificial intelligence, which challenges both artistic working conditions and the protection of intellectual property. In an increasingly visually complex society, basic visual competence is often taken for granted, despite a growing need for skills related to observation, reflection and critical image understanding.
As a professional organization and nationally the Norwegian Drawing Center represents Tegnerforbundet a broad and diverse professional field, and it is this competence that Tegneløftet is built on. Our role is to strengthen and highlight the artistic quality, space for expression and framework conditions of the draftsman and the drawing, and to contribute to ensuring that knowledge about drawing remains accessible and relevant in the face of societal, technological and cultural changes. Tegnerforbundet also has a responsibility for dissemination and community-oriented work related to drawing. Drawings are a central form of expression, and the work to strengthen the place of drawing is therefore also about safeguarding freedom of expression and diversity in the public sphere.
We see a need for a comprehensive and long-term strengthening of drawing, which is often the gateway to art and creative work. But we currently lack clear structures that can maintain and strengthen these skills in education and further development. Without a comprehensive effort, central competence related to drawing as a form of work and thinking risks weakening over time.
The Drawing Challenge is one of the Norwegian Artists' Association's contributions to meeting these challenges. Together with our partners, we are establishing a national initiative that will build bridges between the professional art field, education and society, and facilitate collaboration between artists, institutions and the public.
Drawing is more than a technique or an art form. It is a fundamental way of thinking, understanding and expressing oneself, and one of humanity's earliest forms of communication. Drawing develops the ability to observe, process experiences and communicate ideas visually - skills that are central to learning, reflection and interaction.
The Drawing Pledge is therefore about more than strengthening artistic structures. Drawing is an accessible and inclusive form of expression that can be used by many, regardless of language or background. It also functions as a tool for concentration, immersion and visual understanding. Through drawing, the ability to interpret and produce images is trained – skills that are crucial in a society where visual communication characterizes both public life, education and working life.
Through the Drawing Promise, we want to Tegnerforbundet , in collaboration with the DNB Savings Bank Foundation, Kunst i skolen and Kunst og design i skolen, to increase knowledge and skills in drawing, and at the same time arouse curiosity for the medium both as an artistic expression and as a tool for learning. The goal is to contribute to a long-term and lasting boost for drawing in Norway.
//
The working group for the Drawing Challenge consists of:
Hilde Lunde (managing director) Tegnerforbundet ), Birthe Mørreaunet Selvaag (Advisor, Savings Bank Foundation DNB), Anne Elisabeth Sæter (Managing Director, Art in Schools), Christina Stubberud (Art and Design in Schools).
The expert council for the initiative in 2026 will consist of:
Kjersti Synneva Moen (performer/drawer), Tanja Thorjussen ( Tegnerforbundet ), Nora Krohg (Kulturtanken), Andreas Berg (KHiO), Rikke Lundgren (National Museum).
