Weekday Sketchers At the

Museum of the City of New York

Let's squeeze in one more holiday sketch event before the lights and decorations are taken down and packed away!

Every year the Museum of the City of New York holds a Gingerbread Contest.  This year's winners have absolutely outdone themselves.  Come and see these amazing creations that represent buildings in throughout the city.  Then let's see how creative we can be in capturing the display!

For information about the exhibit and to see a short film about this exhibit, click here: https://www.mcny.org/exhibition/gingerbread-nyc

Not interested in Gingerbread houses?  No problem.  The museum offers many sketching possibilities.  For more information about the museum's exhibits, click here: https://www.mcny.org/exhibitions

DATE:     WEDNESDAY JANUARY 14, 2026

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF New York

                        1220 FIFTH AVE AT 103RD STREET

TRANSPORTATION: 6 TRAIN TO 103 St. Walk 3 blocks west to Fifth Ave,  2 ir 3 train to 110th Street.  Walk one block east to 5th Ave then south to the museum

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.oer
• Looking for us?  Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• There is an entrance fee of $23 for adults and $18 for Seniors HOWEVER, the AAM card is accepted You can also use many other NYC specific discount cards ( Library discounts, city passes, etc) 
• You can use a stool
• Be prepared to work in dry materials
• Water, bathrooms and limited food service is available on site 

SUNDAY, January 11, 2026: WESTCHESTER Sketchers at the Rye Free Reading Room

 

Often called the Jewel of Rye, the Rye Free Reading Room is a public library in Rye, New York, located in a 1913 stately brick Georgian building on the Village Green.

A bit of history - this library began as the dream of a few concerned citizens in 1884. They founded a constitution for a new library organization, primarily as a place for young men as an escape from the undesirable effect of saloons.  Fast forward to 2026 - the library welcomes us to come sketch their beautiful interior, bookcases, wood ceilings and an elegant staircase.  And while you are at it, take out a good book with which to curl up at home.

DETAILS:

Where:  Rye Free Reading Room 1061 Boston Post Rd, Rye, NY 10580. (914) 967-0480.

Parking - There are a limited number of spots in the lot shared by the Library and City Hall.  Enter the lot from Purchase Street and Library Lane.  Parking is free on Sunday.  You may also park on the street at the junction of Purchase Street and Boston Post Road.

When: Sunday,  January 11, 2026

Start time: 12:30 PM.  (NOTE: Later start time).

Directions: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Rye+Free+Reading+Room,+1061+Boston+Post+Rd,+Rye,+NY+10580

Transportation from NYC: The closest Metro-North train station is Rye, on the New Haven line. The Library is a short walk from the station.  City sketchers who would like a ride from the station can contact Marianne at 914-355-6507.

Lunch: Due to our later start time, there will be no formal break for lunch.  However, food is not allowed in the Library so please try to eat lunch before coming.  

Show and Tell: 2:30 PM, location to be determined. This social part of our day is not to be missed.

NOTES:

- Dry materials only

- Please do not draw the patrons

- There is ample seating, but bringing a stool offers more options.

- Bathrooms are available in the Library.

RSVP to Cathy at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

If you can’t find us call: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 or Marianne at 914-355-6507. 

There are no fees.  All drawing skill levels are welcome.

Saturday 1/10/26: Weekend Sketchers at Industry City

Industry City is a 35-acre creative campus and cultural destination on the Brooklyn waterfront. Beginning in 2013, a $450 million redevelopment reimagined the dormant industrial campus into a modern innovation district which has become a national model for adaptive reuse and urban revitalization.

As sketchers be sure to visit Artist & Craftsman Supply in bldg 4. The campus also contains a boutique custom yarn shop, knife and sword making studio, ceramic and furniture studio, custom shoemaker, vinyl shop/bar, comic shop, several bookstores, Vasari oil paint maker, an artisanal candle studio, the Morbid Anatomy Museum (with taxidermy specimens), the Pop Culture Museum… as well as an incredibly diverse selection of food stalls, restaurants, bars, bakeries, specialty wine/spirits, breweries, etc, etc. I encourage everyone to explore the 8+ building campus for endless subjects to sketch (and food to eat).

HOST: Charles Cannizzaro (914)-552-3658

DATE: Saturday 1/10/26

TIME: Sketching 10am - 3pm | Show and Tell beginning at 3pm. 

SKETCHING LOCATION: Industry City- 220 36th St, Brooklyn, NY

MEETING LOCATION/ SHOW AND TELL LOCATION:  There will be no official meeting to kick off the day, but let’s use Building 2, in front of Powerhouse Books (near Burger Joint) as our home base. We will do the Show and Tell here at 3:00. If you are new, look for people with sketchbooks and say hello. Check with the host day-of to confirm the exact show-and-tell location.

FOOD, DRINK, RESTROOMS, SEATING: Yes to all.

ABOUT NYC URBAN SKETCHING EVENTS: All are welcome, no fee, no registration. Just look for folks with sketchbooks and say hello. If you have trouble finding us, contact the host; their contact info is in the NYC Urban Sketchers blog post for this event.  #nycurbansketchers.

Weekday Sketchers at AMNH 

Please note:  Muriel Applebaum will be the host and contact person for today's event.  

Looking for us?  Call or text  Muriel Applebaum at 347-225-1402

Let's squeeze a bit more holiday out of the season!

For the next two weeks we will visit two museums to sketch their holiday decorations before they are taken down.  This week it will be the American Museum of Natural History and next is the Museum of the City of New York. 

Just imagine a Christmas tree decorated with dinosaurs and elephants!  

Yes, it exists at the AMNH!

If you have never seen it, now is your chance to see the origami tree decorated with animals found in the museum's collection: Dinosaurs, elephants, insects, whales and so much more!

Beyond being decorative, the origami animals  feature species that evolved before and after the asteroid impact 66 million years ago.  AND to make this a bit more impactful  (speaking of asteroids!), you might want to visit the new exhibit The End of the Age of Dinosaurs on the 7th floor and take a look at the Stegosaurus skeleton on the 4th floor.  Thanks to Lorraine Smith for this suggestion. 

Thank you to Muriel Applebaum for making arrangements for this visit! 

See the special instruction below

For more information about the AMNH click here: https://www.amnh.org/?_gl=1*dx2zuy*_gcl_au*Nzk0NzY1MjkuMTczODg4NTc1Mg..*_ga*MzkwNDI1MTAyLjE3Mzg4ODU3NTI.*_ga_J0SCEJCMH8*MTczODk1NjgyMy4yLjEuMTczODk1Nzg2MC42MC4wLjM2NzY1MzczNw..

DATE: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7, 2026

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: AMNH

                       200 Cental Park West at 79th Street 

                        See note below for meeting instructions

TRANSPORTATION: B OR C TRAIN TO 81ST STREET/AMNH

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us?  Call or text Muriel Applebaum at 347-225-1402
• There is an entrance fee of Adults $30, Seniors $24. However there is a pay what you wish policy for NY State residents and the museum accepts many organization membership such as AAM.
• Special Instructions for entrance to the museum: Muriel Applebaum will host this session. She has made arrangements for 20 free tickets to the museum that include entrance to most of the special exhibits,  Meet Muriel at the main entrance up the stairs at 10:30 AM  to claim a ticket, which will be given on a first come first served basis.  
• Water, food and bathrooms are available. 
• Be prepared to work in dry materials
• Bring a stool

1/9/2026 NJ Sketchers at Morris Museum

 

Join the NJ Urban Sketchers for our first event of 2026! 

On January 9th, we are going to the Morris Museum, an inspiring sketch meetup surrounded by art, history, and design.

Current exhibitions include:

Contemporary Volumes which explores how artists use the form, function, and symbolism of books to challenge conventions, reshape narratives, and expand the possibilities of both art and language.

Ongoing exhibitions include:

The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of historic mechanical musical instruments and automata.

·      Morris Museum (website very slow to load)

 

DATE: Friday, January 9th

STARTING TIME: 11:00 am – PLEASE BE ON TIME AS WE ARE ENTERING AS A GROUP AND PAYING AS ONE

FEE: Group fee is $8 per person; please bring cash or contact Barbara to Venmo.

LOCATION: 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960

TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING: the museum parking is free; it is too far to walk from the train station

NOTES

• Please RSVP to Barbara Taylor at bat155155@gmail.com  RSVPs required as we are entering as a group
• Looking for us? Call or text Barbara at ‪(862) 207-4279
• Bring a stool; there are some benches available but a stool will give you more options
• Dry materials only; no watercolor allowed in the museum
• Bring your lunch  
• We will conclude with lunch and a throw down around 1pm in the lobby area of the museum

There are no fees. All drawing skill levels are welcome.

MONDAY, January 5, 2025: WESTCHESTER Sketchers Holiday Party and Sketch at the Unitarian Church, White Plains

 Let's KEEP THE HOLIDAY PARTY GOING!

We'll be sketching at the Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation Sanctuary

The holidays may be over but not for us! We will have a sketch event and mini holiday celebration at this beautiful setting. Surrounded by lovely greenery and big windows, delight in staying cozy and capturing nature in your sketchpad. In addition, we will play at being models for each other (optional, you can model if you like).

So bring colorful accessories (hats, scarves, shawls, fans, etc.), a treat or snack and beverage to share with everyone and your artist self!

At 1:00 pm we will all show and talk about our work (optional) and partake of light party snacks.

DETAILS:

DATE: MONDAY, January 5, 2026

START TIME: 10:00 AM, or whenever you can get there.   

LOCATION: Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation (CUUC)

468 Rosedale Ave, White Plains, NY 10605.  The building is conveniently located 2 blocks west of the Hutchinson River Parkway, exit 14.

PARKING:  We ask that you park on the lower level but you can first drive up the hill to drop off your bags and supplies and Marianne will be there to receive them.  We have a couple of parking spots on the upper tier for those who are disabled.  Let us know if you need this.

DIRECTIONS: https://cuucwp.org/worship/plan-a-visit/

By TRAIN  Transportation from Grand Central Terminal, NYC: Take the Metro-North New Haven Line to the Harrison Station.  Please call Marianne to arrange for pick up and ride to the site.

LUNCH: 12:30 PM  The nearest food vendor is about a mile away so please bring your own lunch. There is a refrigerator should you need it.  The closest food vendor is the Rosedale Deli, located half a mile from the church on the corner of Rosedale and Mamaroneck Avenues.

SHOW and TELL: After lunch.  This is the social part of our day where we share our drawings, tips, and stories. It is a time not to be missed. 

NOTES:

• It is enormously costly to heat the huge sanctuary area, even for just a few hours.  We request a small donation ($5.00) from all the sketchers to help defray this expense.  We thank you very much in advance for your donation.
• Watercolor brushes may be used. 
•  Please, no food or drink in the main sanctuary area.  You may eat or drink in the top part of the sanctuary where there are no rugs.
• No need to bring stools, there are plenty of chairs.

Please RSVP to Cathy (westchester@nycurbansketchers.org). 

Looking for us?
Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 or Marianne at (914) 355-6507.

There are no fees. All drawing skill levels are welcome. 

Saturday 1/3/26: Weekend Sketchers at The Asia Society Museum

 

Through exhibitions, talks, films, family programs, performances, and more, Asia Society celebrates Asian art and culture. The Museum features exhibitions of pre-modern, modern, and contemporary art of Asia and Asian diasporas.

Current Exhibitions include: Imperial Treasures: Chinese Ceramics of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and, (Re)Generations, which

reintroduces key works in Asia Society Collection through the lenses of three leading contemporary artists. These exhibitions, along with some of the museum's permanent holdings, should give us plenty of material to fill our sketchbooks. 

*Please note that the start time is later than usual. The Museum opens at 11am. There is a $15 admission fee for adults, $10 for seniors.

HOST: Gabriel Forman (415) 810-1056

DATE: Saturday 1/3/26

TIME: Sketching 11am - 3pm | Show and Tell beginning at 3pm. 

SKETCHING LOCATION: Asia Society Museum- 725 Park Avenue (@70th St), NY, NY 10021.

VENUE RULES:$15 Admission fee, $10 for seniors. The museum accepts AAM membership as well as other affiliate memberships. Sketching in pencil is permitted in all galleries. The use of ballpoint pens, ink, markers, fountain pens, or watercolors is not permitted at any time. Crayon, pastel, and charcoal are permitted only on Museum-supervised tours.

MEETING LOCATION:  Join your fellow sketchers throughout the museum and just start sketching. There will be no official meeting to kick off the day. If you are new, look for people with sketchbooks and say hello.

SHOW AND TELL LOCATION: In the museum. Check with the host day-of to confirm the exact show-and-tell location.

FOOD, DRINK, RESTROOMS, SEATING: There are restrooms and a cafe in the building. There are also plenty of options in the surrounding area. Bring a stool.

ABOUT NYC URBAN SKETCHING EVENTS: All are welcome, no fee, no registration. Just look for folks with sketchbooks and say hello. If you have trouble finding us, contact the host; their contact info is in the NYC Urban Sketchers blog post for this event.  #nycurbansketchers.