SATURDAY, May 16, 2026: Westchester Sketchers Plein Air Day at Larchmont Library

 

The Larchmont Public Library has teamed up with the Westchester NYC Urban Sketchers to provide a fun and relaxing drawing event ‘en plain air’ or ‘in the open air.’

Join us at 10 AM on the front lawn of the Library for a quick meet and greet. From there, choose a spot on the lawn (or anywhere around the building) and begin sketching/drawing the surrounding scenery. We will break for lunch at 12:30 PM and reconvene at 1 PM for Show & Tell. After that, everyone is welcome to continue sketching until 3 PM.

HOST: Cathy Gutterman (914) 625-0766

DATE: Saturday, May 16, 2026

TIME: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM 

LOCATION: Larchmont Library, 121 Larchmont Ave, Larchmont, NY 10538.

Phone: (914) 834-2281

DIRECTIONS: https://larchmontlibrary.org/directions/

By TRAIN (From Grand Central Terminal, NYC):

Take the Metro-North New Haven line to the Larchmont Station. The Library is less than a mile's walk from the Larchmont station. (Walk on Chatsworth until you reach Post Road. Turn right. Larchmont Avenue is your next left). If you need a ride from the Station, please call Marianne (914-355-6507) to arrange for pick-up.

PARKING: While parking is metered in Larchmont, you can drive east (towards the water) on Larchmont Ave and look for a spot further down from Elm Street where metered parking ends.

NOTES:

Bring water and your lunch or a snack, or pick something up from nearby eateries on Boston Post Road or Chatsworth Ave.

• Bring a stool for more sketching options.

Event announcement: https://larchmont.librarycalendar.com/event/plein-air-drawing-event-nyc-urban-sketchers-30312

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

About NYC Urban Sketchers Events: All are welcome–no fee, no registration. Just look for folks with sketchbooks at the meeting spot 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.

TUESDAY, May 12, 2026: NYACK/Westchester Sketch Meet-up at the Nyack Library

 

Come and join the next meet-up of the Nyack/Westchester Sketchers at the Nyack Library. Meet in the Creative Lab at 2 PM, then gather gain at 4 PM to share sketches. Choose whatever you would like to draw inside or outside.

Free, informal and friendly!  All levels welcome. Beginners welcome. No registration required.

HOST: Kay Copp Brown (631) 432-6526

DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026

TIME: 2:00 - 4:30 PM 

LOCATION: Nyack Library, 59 South Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960.

Meet in the Creative Lab at 2 PM. Return at 4:00 PM for Show and Tell.

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Nyack+Library,+59+S+Broadway,+Nyack,+NY+10960 

NOTES:

• Park on the street or in the library lot behind the building.

• Restrooms are available.

For more information contact Kay at kcoppbrown@aol.com 

About NYC Urban Sketchers Events: All are welcome–no fee, no registration. Just look for folks with sketchbooks at the meeting spot 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.

5/15 NJ Sketchers at Presby Iris Garden

Sketch the Irises

Join the NJ Urban Sketchers at Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, 474 Upper Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043 on Friday May 15 at 10:30 AM.

This favorite spot of photographers, gardeners, artists, and blossom enthusiasts is a feast for the senses. It is set on a sloped 6.5 acres and has 3,000 varieties and over 10,000 iris blooms. Since it was founded in 1927 as an ode to Frank Presby, an iris hybridizer, volunteers care for the delicate flowers without using herbicides or pesticides. Some of the varietals date back to the 1500's. The colors must be seen. Bring your summer palette, if you have one.

Wear a sun hat, and bring your lunch and plenty of water. Picnic tables are available as are Port-o-Sans. Bring your portable stool. Please wear sturdy shoes, as there are a few bumpy spots. There is free on the street parking on Upper Mountain Avenue, and cash donations are accepted at the entrance.

Date: Friday, May 15, 2026 

Starting Time: 10:30am

Location: Presby Memorial Iris Gardens, 474 Upper Mountain Avenue, Montclair, NJ 07043

Parking: Available on Upper Mountain Avenue

Please RSVP to Julia at

jazaz7658@gmail.com, and if you get lost

551-206-1273

Saturday 5/9/26: City Hall Park

 

As if City Hall, designed on 1802 by architects John McComb Jr. and Joseph-Francois Mangin, weren't sketchable enough, it is surrounded by stunning and historical buildings such as the majestic Manhattan Municipal Building, Tweed Courthouse, The Woolworth Building, Surrogate’s Court, the old NY Times Building, NY County Supreme Court, and even the Brooklyn Bridge and St. Paul’s Chapel are within striking distance.

The weather forecast is calling for rain in the afternoon on Saturday. As a fallback plan, let’s retreat to Brookfield Place if it is raining hard enough to prevent sketching. Check the comment section of the Instagram and Facebook posts for this event on Saturday for “live” updates. We can communicate there.

HOST: Dan Honig (917) 843-5539
DATE: Saturday 5/9/26
TIME: Sketching 10am - 3pm | Show and Tell beginning at 3pm.
SKETCHING LOCATION: City Hall Park- East Side of Broadway @ Park Place- between Broadway and Park Row.

MEETING LOCATION: There will be no official meeting to kick off the day, join your fellow sketchers and just start sketching. If you are new, look for people with sketchbooks and say hello, we are a friendly bunch.
SHOW AND TELL LOCATION: The benches around the Jacob Wrey Mould Fountain on the south side of the park. If we need to go to Brookfield place, meet on the east side of the Winter Garden Atrium, on the 2nd floor at the top of the giant staircase (there are elevators to get up there). Check with the host day-of for the exact show-and-tell location, and/or check the comment section of the Instagram and Facebook posts for this event for “live” updates.

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.

Join us for outdoor sketching at the new Davis Center at the Harlem Meer. Opened in April 2025, in the north end of the park, this new public space houses a renovated Lasker swimming pool in the summer and ice skating in the winter. In the spring and fall, the center transforms the pool/rink area into a green space for relaxing. The interior of the pavilion has many tables with a great view of the action outside.

The Davis Center is near the newly restored shoreline of the Harlem Meer Nature Preserve and the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, built in 1933. You’ll find plenty to sketch in this area. 

About the Davis Center 

https://daviscenter.centralparknyc.org/about

The Davis Center was designed by Susan T Rodriguez | Architecture and Design

https://str-architecture.com/project/the-harlem-meer-outdoor-center-in-central-park/

DATE: Wednesday May 13 , 2026

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

TRANSPORTATION: 2, 3 to 110 St-Malcolm X Plaza is the closest subway stop

HOST: Donna David 212 685 2930 (text only)

NOTES: 

-The Davis Center is on the east side of Central Park, between 106th and 108th Streets. Meet at the indoor area with the tables.

-Water, bathrooms and cafe are available on site

-There are many benches nearby, but bring a stool for more options. 

-CAUTION!!!! Be careful when crossing East Drive on the south side of the pavilion (yellow line on map). The south entrance of the Center on the East Drive is at the end of a long down hill. Bikes go extremely fast. Be super careful if you approach from the curve on East Drive. (Raylie- maybe we should say "Don't approach from here"? Bikes fly down that hill, I've done it myself. They will not expect people to be walking across here)

Workshop: Look Up And Sketch Something New with Mel Barranco - May 30, 2026

Have you ever wondered what you’re missing by staring straight ahead at a scene? Learn about a whole range of sketching possibilities by looking up. 

Join Mel Barranco at Manhattan West Plaza, along 9th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets, on Saturday, May 30th, 10am - 1pm. 

For information and tickets:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1987085076956?aff=oddtdtcreator

5/9/26 CANCELED NJ Sketchers at Stickley Museum

CANCELED Join the NJ Urban Sketchers at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms! 

We will be participating in their Maker Day Open House.

The event runs from noon to 4pm and we will be on-site sketching from 11:30 am to at least 2:30 pm.

Built by Gustav Stickley between 1908 and 1917 as the most complete expression of his “Craftsman” style, the campus of Craftsman Farms provides an unmatched opportunity to experience Stickley’s ideas about the impact of architecture, design, and landscape on a meaningful life. The museum is situated on the remaining thirty acres of Craftsman Farms’ original 650-acre campus. Its original buildings include the Log House, which was the Stickley family home, and three cottages. The original farm buildings include the horse barn, dairy house, and the remains of the cow barn.

There will also be free museum admission and craft vendors participating in the event. Guests are invited to enjoy free admission to the historic Log House and learn about the history of the museum and its collections items. You can also tour the North Cottage on the property, which features the museum’s collection of rare green ash furniture. 

 

For more information see the website: 

·      Stickley Museum  

 

DATE: Saturday, May 9th

STARTING TIME: 11:30 – we will assemble before the start of the event at noon

FEE: no fee to participate

LOCATION: 2352 State Route 10 Morris Plains, NJ 07950

TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING: there is parking onsite

NOTES

• Please RSVP to Barbara Taylor at bat155155@gmail.com   
• Looking for us? Call or text Barbara at ‪(862) 207-4279
• Bring a stool
• Bring your lunch or a bite to eat  
• We will conclude with a throw down around 2 pm but you are welcome to keep sketching after that

 

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