Alumni Spotlight: Madalyn Drewno

Madalyn Drewno, one of our JETAARM community members and artist will be with us today, August 27, from 4:00 to 8:00 PM at Japan Fest 2023 doing portraiture to help raise money for Friends of the Earth Japan! Stop by, say hi, get your portrait done, and enjoy some awesome musical stylings at Levitt Pavilion in Denver!

Let’s take a minute to get to know Madalyn.

1. Give us a short jikoshoukai. What is your name? And tell us a little bit about your time in Japan.

My name is Madalyn Drewno. I was an ALT in Anan-shi, Tokushima-ken from 2019-2021.

A favorite memory from my time living in Japan was rafting in Oboke Koboke gorge and relaxing in the onsen afterward.

2. What kind of art you enjoy doing? What kind of art you have explored in the past? And what you plan to do at Japan fest?

I enjoy visual reportage and drawing from life. I’ve explored a variety of media including collage, printmaking, installation, and watercolor. At Japan Fest I will be doing live portrait drawing.  

3. Can you tell us a little about the charity you chose to collect donations for and why you chose them?

I chose to raise donations for Friends of the Earth Japan (FoE Japan) because the climate crisis is the biggest existential threat we currently face and contributing to FoE Japan is one small way to take action. FoE Japan is an environmental organization that works to protect the environment and promote social and environmental justice. They research environmental problems from the perspective of local communities, propose environmental policies to the Japanese government, and collaborate with the international FoE network to mobilize people to participate in activities that address environmental issues.

For those curious to explore more of Madalyn's world, her artwork can be found on her website, madalyndrewno.com, and her Instagram profile, @madalyn.drewno.