Joe's Pub at The Public Hosts Live Draw Concert for Visual Artists Tonight

As part of its ongoing 15th anniversary season celebrating the best in live music and performance nightly, Joe's Pub at The Public is hosting an open-call for visual artists to submit their sketchbook samples on Tumblr and receive an invitation to draw a live concert tonight, November 19, 7:00 PM featuring indie-rock band Balthrop, Alabama and EMEFE. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.joespub.com/.

For eight years Michael Arthur (@inklines) has been the official archival artist at Joe's Pub, capturing the likes of Amy Winehouse, Pete Townshend, Carly Simon, Alicia Keys and many more. Arthur's approach to drawing performances is unique; each of his drawings is fuelled by the energy of the performance, drawn live in ink as the artist works onstage. Now Joe's Pub is opening its doors for more visual artists to expand on this same tradition.

"Joe's Pub is known as a place where performers come to grow their careers, but Michael is a great example of a visual artist who has been able to do that as well," said Shanta Thake, Director of Joe's Pub at The Public. "This is a safe space for artists of all disciplines, and we are thrilled to be growing our relationship with the visual artist community through Tumblr."

For more information on how to submit to the open-call, please visit: http://bit.ly/16DaMTA

All approved artists who submit their work via Tumblr will have free access to the event on November 19. Joe's Pub will accept sketchbook submissions through November 1. Guests who do not submit their work via Tumblr but would still like to participate are encouraged to bring sketchbooks. Several of the finished drawings from the concert will be posted to the Joe's Pub Tumblr blog.

"The opportunity to draw at Joe's Pub brought me in to contact with so many new people and new experiences that it couldn't help but change and inspire everything about the way I draw," said Michael Arthur. "The Pub has been a home for me-complete with a family-nurturing and supporting my work. It's exciting to partner with Tumblr to offer this opportunity to other artists."

On October 30 from 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM Joe's Pub will host a public reception and toast for Michael Arthur on the Levin Mezzanine at The Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003) where 20 of his portraits will be on display through December.

"We're so proud to see top institutions like Joe's Pub at The Public looking to the Tumblr community for talent," saysRachel Fershleiser of Tumblr's outreach team. "Connecting creators with terrific opportunities is an important part of our mission. We look forward to the amazing art that comes out of this collaboration."

Additional initiatives in celebration of the anniversary at Joe's Pub include a new sound system from German speaker manufacturer d&b audiotechnik, a benefit concert featuring Bridget Everett in Rock Bottom, and anexclusive series on YouTube featuring interviews with luminaries such as Allen Toussaint, Sandra Bernhard and other artists who have made Joe's Pub their home.

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Michael Arthur is a pen and ink artist who uses no pencils and no rough drafts. Each drawing is a live reaction to the moment. For the last seven years, Michael has been the Archival Artist at Joe's Pub, attending and documenting in drawings, hundreds of performances. Although he has no formal art training, he has a PhD in Theater History from the University of Texas. His drawings have been hailed by the late Al Hirschfeld, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, NPR and in Departures Magazine. His music videos for Josh Ritter, Peter Salett, Balthrop, Alabama and others have debuted at The New Yorker, IFC and The Huffington Post, among other outlets. Michael is also the Rehearsal Artist for La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego.

ABOUT BALTHROP, ALABAMA: Balthrop, Alabama is a small town full of sob stories and dirty secrets. Founded in 1847 in the iron-rich foothills outside of Birmingham, the town was once home to a bustling community of miners, farmers, and metal-smiths, but fell on harder times as the century turned and the economy sank. The town is now only a fraction of its former size, but remains home to a few hard-nosed folks holding out in hopes of better times to come. Among them is a small town band that sings stories about love, dead people, and dead people in love. This is Balthrop, Alabama.

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Visit us at www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows

ONLINE at joespub.com

PHONE 212-967-7555,

IN PERSON at The Taub Box Office at The Public Theater (1 PM to 6 PM) located at 425 Lafayette Street, NYC

Named for Public Theater founder Joe Papp, Joe's Pub debuted in 1998 and plays a vital role in The Public's mission of supporting young artists while providing established artists with an intimate space to perform and develop new work. In 2013, Joe's Pub celebrates 15 years of the best in live music and performance nightly, continuing its commitment to diversity, production values, community and artistic freedom. It received a top-to-bottom renovation in 2011, leading to improved sightlines, expanded seating capacity and a new menu from acclaimed Chef Andrew Carmellini. With its intimate atmosphere and superior acoustics, Joe's Pub presents talent from all over the world as part of The Public's programming downtown at its Astor Place home, hosting approximately 800 shows and serving over 100,000 audience members annually. http://www.joespub.com/

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare and the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the Company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the Company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. The Public Theater is located on property owned by the City of New York and receives annual support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The LuEsther T. Mertz Charitable Trust provides leadership support for The Public Theater's year-round activities. www.publictheater.