Orling Dominguez has a nearly unique claim in the Urban
Sketchers universe: She is one of only two individuals who have attended every
single USk Symposium! As organizer of the third annual symposium in her home
town of Santo Domingo, Orling has been an instructor and has also served on the
organizing teams for several other symposiums. This year in Amsterdam, she will
take on a new volunteer role as a correspondent. (Due to a conflicting
commitment, very regretfully Mariia Ermilova has had to resign from the team.)
The USk Editorial Team has no doubt that Orling will be up
to her latest challenge. “I connect easily with people,” Orling said in her
application. “I am energetic and enthusiastic, I take action and make things
happen. I work very well on teams. I know how the symposium works in and out,
and understand how it flows. I already know the intensity of those four days, I
know how demanding it is to draw nonstop and work and move quickly; I’m ready
for it!”
Among the vibrant sketches she submitted is the one above from
an organized protest she witnessed in her home town. She describes the action: “By
4:00 the street was packed; the plaza was burning! . . . The scenario was ‘Puerta
del Conde,’ where 174 years ago, the independence of Dominican Republic from
Haiti was declared. This time, Dominicans from every corner of the island came
to the capitol city to gather and protest. But protesting against what? Against
corruption! Against police brutality! . . . Yellow was the color, the slogan ‘tamos
jartos’ (Dominican slang for ‘we are fed up.’)”
Along with teammates Mark Anderson (USA) and Gwen Glotin
(Amsterdam) (see their
introduction in this post), Orling will be sketching and writing daily
reports of symposium activities and posting them here on the blog.
