Saturday, May 24 - Sketch Balto the Dog

 

Balto has a heroic story about saving people from cholera. But was he really the hero or is there more to the story?

After we gather at the Dairy Visitor Center at 10 am, we’ll walk to Balto’s statue where David Baram, a Central Park volunteer, will tell the real story behind this legendary dog. Then, feel free to sketch in the vicinity on your own.

LUNCH 12 noon       

SHOW & TELL: 3 pm at the Chess and Checkers House Visitors Center

TRANSPORTATION: Take the 1, A, C, B, or D subway to Columbus Circle. Or, the R, W, N, or Q to 57th-7Av

NOTES: Bring a stool for more options.

Hosts: Judy Garza (651-283-0031) and David Baram

FRIDAY, May 23, 2025: Westchester Sketchers at Greenwich Botanical Center and Montgomery Pinetum Park, Cos Cob, CT

 

Get ready for an adventure in nature! 

Located in the 61-acre Montgomery Pinetum Park, Greenwich Botanical Center is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to promoting horticulture, conservation, and the arts through educational programs and outreach activities. It's mission is to connect people with plants and nature through horticulture, botany, and conservation education.

DETAILS:

DATE: FRIDAY, May 23, 2025

START TIME: 10:00 AM

LOCATION: Greenwich Botanical Center, 130 Bible Street, Cos Cob, CT
Phone: (203) 869 9242

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.0812416,-73.7640448/Greenwich+Botanical+Center,+130+Bible+St,+Cos+Cob,+CT+06807    

LUNCH: Bring your own.  

SHOW AND TELL will follow lunch. It is a time for sharing and not to be missed.

NOTES:

• We will meet near the Gift Shop in the Center. 
• Parking is available.
• Bring your stools.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

Looking for us? 

Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 or Marianne at (914) 355-6507

There are no fees to attend. All art levels welcome.

May 21, 2025. Weekday Sketchers on Broadway Wednesday.

Weekday Sketcher on Broadway Wednesday

No, we are not performing!

Just sketching the new installation on Broadway between 39th and 41St Streets 

Join us this week as we explore the new installation on Broadway "growing" out of the pavement in the Garment District.  These sculptures by Steve Tobin are the newest installation of the Garment District Alliance. Come and walk between, around and through these giant tree roots and try to capture their twists, turns and shadows in your sketchbooks. 

For more information about this exhibit, click here: https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/there-are-giant-metal-roots-growing-out-of-midtown-right-now-040425

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 21, 2025

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: WE WILL MEET ON THE CORNER OF BROADWAY AND 41st STREET

TRANSPORTATION: ANY TRAIN TO TIMES SQUARE

NOTES

Please RSVP to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org

Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445

Bring a stool

Bathrooms and water available in local businesses

Bring your lunch or purchase something from the many outlets along the street

Weekday 5/14 Sketchers Change of Venue

Important Announcement 

Weekday Sketchers Change of Venue

NOTE: 

Due to a rainy forecast we will not be able to sketch at the Stonewall Museum.  The museum is small and the intention was for us to view the exhibits and spend time sketching inside the museum and outside in the park.  The museum is too small for all of us to fit inside. 

Weekday Sketchers at the Center for Book Arts Wednesday

Did you ever wonder how a book was made? Did you ever want to make a book, perhaps with some of your own single sheet paintings, sketches and journal papers?  This is your chance to see how it is done and perhaps take part in the process.  The Center for Book Arts is a workshop open to the public for just such purposes.  Presses, type face cabinets, interesting machines and large windows with views of surrounding buildings will offer us many sketching options. 

For information about the Center for Book Arts, click here: https://sideways.nyc/discover/4aMpaeUeFcPs7XkQw0AL9q/center-book-arts

 

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 2025

STARTING TIME: 11:00 AM (when the center opens) 

LOCATION: 28 WEST 27TH STREET

TRANSPORTATION: R, W TO 28TH STREET

NOTES

• Please RSVP to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Bring a stool
• Water and bathrooms available
• There is no food allowed in the center
• The is an active workshop, please be mindful of those at work.

Sunday May 18th Sketch Flushing Meadow Park

 

Sketch Flushing Meadow Park

Sunday May 18 at 11am-3pm

We'll meet at 11 am on the side of Unisphere that’s nearest to the Queens Museum.

 There’s a whole universe in and around the Unisphere. Sketch the iconic globe, the many other sculptures from the 1964 and 1939 World's Fairs, the soccer games in the park, or the treasures in the Queens Museum. Food trucks and bathrooms available. Hop on the 7 train to Mets-Willet Point and from there, walk into the park. Public parking available on either side of the Queens Museum.

Call or text Frieda at 917 747-6060

Note it's on Sunday this week and an 11am start.

Saturday June 14, Workshop With Susan Greenstein

 

Embracing Looseness in Wet on Wet Watercolor

Workshop with Susan Greenstein 

When:  Saturday June 14 10am-1pm

Where: We will meet at the corner of 9th Street and Prospect Park West, near the entrance to Prospect Park, Brooklyn. 

What: In this workshop we will begin our paintings in a loose style, and build detail and specific information as we go. Starting with a wet-on wet approach and allowing watercolor to blend, we will see the beauty of the medium shine. We will work in multiples, allowing the paint to dry on one piece while we start on another. Working in this way the color of the first layer will distribute, mix and form halos. The beauty of the first layer will peek through and create a looseness and freshness for our work.

How: Many detail and how to sign up here.

This workshop is partly sponsored by Legion Paper. 

Friday, May 16: Westchester Sketchers at Katonah Museum of Art

The Katonah Museum of Art is a non-collecting institution geared towards visual arts, located in Katonah, New York.  The Museum presents changing exhibitions that cross a spectrum of artistic disciplines, cultures, and historical periods.  Housed in an elegant building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Katonah Museum of Art originates three to four major exhibitions annually.

Currently on Exhibit:

Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist

March 16 - June 29, 2025

Ali Banisadr: The Alchemist is the first major U.S. museum survey of the contemporary artist Ali Banisadr. Organized by the Katonah Museum of Art (KMA), this exhibition encompasses nearly twenty years of the artist’s singular practice, from 2006 to the present, across the mediums of painting, drawing, and printmaking. Sculpture, a new direction for the artist, will be presented for the first time.

 

DETAILS:

DATE: FRIDAY, May 16, 2025.

Time: Our official event will be 1:00 - 3:00 pm, but please arrive before 1:00 PM to start with a tour of the current exhibit.  We will be participating in the SENIOR SOCIAL AFTERNOON of art, refreshments, and socializing. Our own Judy Aronow will be giving a demo on watercolor techniques and textures. Advanced registration recommended. 

Register here: https://www.simpletix.com/e/senior-social-afternoon-tickets-206671

LOCATION: Katonah Museum of Art 134 Jay Street - Route 22, Katonah, NY 10536

Phone: (914) 232-9555 

DIRECTIONS: https://www.katonahmuseum.org/visit/getting-here.php
From NYC: From Grand Central Terminal, take the Metro-North Harlem Line to Katonah Station. The trip one-way from Grand Central is about 1 hour 15 minutes. The Museum is located 0.7 miles east of the Katonah train station. From the train station, it is a 10-20-minute walk. Taxi service is also available. For daily train schedules, visit MTA. 

LUNCH: Due to our later start, we will not stop for lunch.  

SHOW and TELL: 3 PM

NOTES:

• Admission: Seniors $9, others $12.
• Reciprocal Admission: Fairfield Westchester Museum Alliance (FWMA), North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM), American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Members.  Also check check your local Library Pass Program.
• Food, drink, chewing gum and tobacco products are not allowed in the galleries.
• PENCIL ONLY in the galleries, and we have to be sitting down when we draw, not walking or standing with pencils out. We can use watercolor and non messy materials in the Learning Center and outside. 
• The museum has stools and we should use them.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

Please also register for the Senior Social Afternoon here:

https://www.simpletix.com/e/senior-social-afternoon-tickets-206671

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.

May 14, 2025 Weekday Sketchers at Stonewall Museum

Weekday Sketchers at the 

Stonewall National Monument  

The Stonewall Rebellion took place on June 28,1969 at the Stonewall Inn, a notorious bar where gay men would gather in Greenwich Village, kicking off a major revolution in the history of our country.  Join us this week as we take a look at a pivotal moment in the history of NYC and the LGBTQIA+ movement.

Thank you to Kathi Gulotta for making arrangements at the Stonewall National Museum located at 51 Christopher Street.  We will be able to sketch in the museum and across the street in Christopher Park where then George Segal  sculptures commemorate the event. 

 Kathi has also made arrangements for a 1 - 1.5 hour guided tour of the museum, which will include an overview of LGBTQ+ life and legislation during the 1960's; how class/privilege played a role in the Gay Liberation Movement; the relationship between Stonewall Inn/Greenwich Village & organized crime families and police; the erasure of trans/gender non conforming identities, & the impact of the HIV/AIDS crisis.  

The tour is on a pay-as-you-wish basis with  suggested donation of $10+.  However we must have at least 10 people sign up for the tour prior to the event.  If you are interested in the tour you MUST RSVP before Wednesday.

For more information about the museum and the movement, click here: https://stonewallvisitorcenter.org/

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 14, 2025

STARTING TIME:  10:30 AM

              NOTE: the museum opens at 10 AM. Those interested in the tour should be there at that time so that we can organize the tour in a timely fashion

LOCATION: 51 CHRISTOPHER STREET

TRANSPORTATION: A,C,E,B,D,F,M to West 4th Street, 1 to Christopher St

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at president@nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Water and bathrooms are available in the museum.
• Entrance to the museum is free. There are many interesting exhibits you can explore without the tour. 
• If you are sketching in the museum, please use dry materials only
• If you are interested in the in-depth tour please follow the directions above.
• Food is not allowed in the museum.  There is no food service in the museum but plenty of vendors in the area.
• The park across the street offers good sketch options as does the surrounding neighborhood 

May 19, 2025 Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge

 

 UPDATE

A SPECIAL OUTING

JAMAICA BAY WILDLIFE REFUGE 

BIRD WATCH AND SKETCHING

If you have never been to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Preserve this is your chance to fix that!

Visitor's Center

It is amazing that between one of the busiest airports and one of the world's largest cities, is a 12,600 wildlife refuge with salt water marshes, freshwater ponds and hundreds of species of wildlife.  Walking through this serene setting you would think you were far, far from the city until you see its skyline rise up on the horizon.  Join us for a day in one of NYC's (not so)  hidden treasures for a guided bird walk and day of sketching.  

UPDATE:   Some funding has been restored and the visitor's center and bathrooms will be open on Monday for our visit.   If you were thinking about going and were not sure,  this is you chance to sign up.  See information below about contacting Diana Berchan to join the group. 

The guided bird walk is led by Don Reipe, naturalist and manager of the National Park System Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge.  For informant about Don, click here: https://www.littoralsociety.org/don-riepe.html

For information about Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, click here: https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge.htm

Thanks to Diana Berchan for making these arrangements!

DATE:  MONDAY May 19, 2025

           

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  JAMAICA BAY WILDLIFE REFUGE 

                                CROSS BAY BOULEVARD, QUEENS

TRANSPORTATION: Check the website for driving and public transit information:https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/jamaica-bay-wildlife-refuge.htm

While the site is accessible by public transportation, using a car is the most expedient way to get there.  If you are driving, please let Diana know if you can accommodate people for a car pool or if you would like to hook up for a ride.  A list of people who can provide rides and those looking for rides will be sent to those people. It will be up to those individuals to make the arrangements. 

Thanks to Diana Berchan for arranging a private bird walk and sketching day! 

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Diana Berchan at dberchan@me.com
• Looking for us? Call or text Diana at 917-608-8262
• There is no fee for this outing or birdwalk.  A suggested donation is $5.00
• Bird walk is optional. You can join us at any part of the day. 
• Water and bathrooms are available at the Vistor's Center
• There will be a considerable amount of walking on flat sandy surfaces, please wear appropriate shoes.
• There is no food service in the park. Please make sure to bring whatever you need with you.
• Bring a hat, binoculars, stool  and sunblock 
• Bring a bottle for drinking water
• See note above for car pool arrangements 

Sketch Saturday May 10, Verdi Square

 

MEETING SPOT, LUNCH, AND SHOW AND TELL: Verdi Square 

Verdi Square sits on Broadway between 72nd and 73rd, right above the 1/2/3 subway station. The park itself has greenery and statuary, but it's also wedged into the heart of the Upper West Side, where grande dame apartment buildings sit beside glassy new high-rises, and crisscrossing streets create a spindly web around the above-ground subway headhouses. 

Within Verdi Square there are benches and chairs, but if you want a different vantage point bring your own stool or be prepared to stand.

Lunch: there are a few bistro tables in Verdi Square and lots of food options nearby, from hot dogs to groceries to sandwich shops

Show and Tell: 2 pm in Verdi Square

Host: Kate Aguirre (832) 606-0101

May 7, 2025 Weekday Sketchers at Harlem Meer

 Weekday Sketchers at the Harlem Meer Wednesday

With a name that harkens back to the time of the Dutch in NYC, the northern end of Central Park offers wonderful sketching opportunities at the Harlem Meer.  The Meer ( lake in Dutch) is crowned with a beautiful boathouse and surrounded by lush hills.  We will also have views of the newly opened Davis Recreation Center, just off the Meer.

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 7, 2025

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  HARLEM MEET BOAT HOUSE

                                CENTAL PARK NORTH AT 110TH STREET

TRANSPORTAIION: 2, 3 TRAIN TO 110ST

NOTES

• Please RSVP to Raylie Dunkel at President@NYCurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Bathrooms and water are available 
• There is very limited food service in the park. Bring your lunch
• Bring a stool

Rescheduled - NJ sketchers 5/15 at Verona Park

 

Program Canceled due to Rain!

Sorry that we have to cancel this program yet again,  the weather gods are not with us on this one!!

NJ sketchers 5/15 at Verona Park

Swan boats are bobbing in the lake, fountains, bridges, stone walls, and bocce courts. Plenty of good subject matter. Benches throughout the park, but bring a stool. 

 

DATE: Thursday, May 15, 2025

STARTING TIME: 10:00 AM

LOCATION:  

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zVbgy7hzXi6mGxtZA

Parking in the center of the park in front of the kids' playground and tennis courts.
Meet up at the stone boathouse center of park. That's where the bathrooms are

RSVP to: Julia Bazaz 

jazaz7658@gmail.com

(551) 206-1273

All welcome, no fees to attend

Tuesday, May 6, 2025: Westchester Sketchers at Hopper House in Nyack

 Sketch The Hopper House

and

Celebrate International Urban Sketchers Week 

NOTE: This event falls within International Urban Sketchers Week. 

All are invited to share your sketches using the hashtag #uskweek2025 and show the world what this community means to you. To learn more about this global celebration, go to this link.

The Edward Hopper House Museum, located in Nyack, NY, was built in 1858 by his maternal grandfather. It is is a 2-story, side hall, mid-19th-century Greek Revival–style dwelling with a 2+1⁄2-story, Queen Anne–style addition. It was the home of noted artist Edward Hopper (1882–1967) from the time of his birth until he moved to Manhattan in 1910. He held title to the house until his death. The house features one gallery dedicated to Hopper's life and work, and other galleries for changing exhibits.

Current exhibit: PORTAL: THE WINDOW IN AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY
This exhibit features twenty three images by seventeen nationally and globally esteemed photographers drawn from the collection of the Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, NY.

DETAILS:

DATE: TUESDAY, May 6, 2025

LOCATION: Edward Hopper House Museum and Study Center, 82 N Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960. Phone: 845-358-0774.

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//Edward+Hopper+House+Museum+%26+Study+Center,+82+N+Broadway,+Nyack,+NY+10960

START TIME: 10 AM

LUNCH: 12:30 PM

SHOW and TELL: After lunch. This is the social part of our day where we share our drawings, tips, and stories.  

NOTES:

• Special admission is $5.00 for Urban Sketchers.
• The Museum is normally closed on Tuesday. It will be open especially for us.
• There is a charge for street parking on Broadway in front of the Museum but you can find free parking on the side streets.
• Pencils only - no pens or markers.
• Bring a stool if you have one. 

Please RSVP to Cathy (westchester@nycurbansketchers.org)

Looking for us? Call/text: Cathy at (914-625-0766 or Marianne at (914) 355-2420.

Saturday May 3, 2025 Woodlawn Cemetery Arboretum

Sketch The Trees of Woodlawn Cemetery

Celebrate International Sketch Week #USkWeek2025

Join us to sketch the "Great Trees of New York City.” Woodlawn Cemetery houses 5 of them, including the magnificent Weeping Beech

• We’ll meet inside the front entrance at 11 am, lunch and show and tell at the picnic tables to the right of the entrance at 1pm and 3pm, respectively. (Note slightly later start due to location at a further destination)

• To get there, take the number 4 train to the last stop, Woodlawn; it’s just across the street

• Tree guides are located at the front entrance. For those interested, there are official tours also being given that day at noon and 2pm. https://www.woodlawn.org/conservancy/tours-events/. Maps of the cemetery with the great trees identified are at https://www.woodlawn.org/tree-map/

  
  

NOTE: This event falls within International Urban Sketchers Week. 

All are invited to share your sketches using the hashtag #uskweek2025 and show the world what this community means to you. And to learn more about this global celebration, go to this link.

Looking for us or lost the event host is Frieda Christofides 917 747-6060

You can park inside for free

Bring food and a stool

TUESDAY, April 29, 2025: Westchester Sketchers at the William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation in Mt. Kisco

 

William Louis Dreyfus

The late businessman William Louis-Dreyfus spent his life amassing a gigantic trove of more than 3,000 artworks, starting with a Wassily Kandinsky watercolor in 1965, and the passion for collecting ran through him until he died in 2016, at the age of 84. He had a special interest in Outsider Art.

The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation's art collection is made up of pieces by self-taught and contemporary artists such as James Castle, Rackstraw Downes, Red Grooms, Bill Traylor, Thornton Dial, and Nellie Mae Rowe. Over 200 artists are featured in the Foundation's collection, all collected by its benefactor.

DETAILS:

DATE: TUESDAY, April 29, 2025

LOCATION: William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation, 211 Kisco Avenue, Mt. Kisco, NY.
The entrance to the facility is located via a short path at the far side of the parking lot.
Before our visit, you may like to familiarize yourself with the collection by visiting http://www.wldfoundation.org/.

DIRECTIONS 

By Car: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//211+Kisco+Ave,+Mt+Kisco,+NY+10549/

By Train (From NYC): Take Metro North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal to the Mt. Kisco Station via the Harlem Line. The Foundation is a short walk from the train station.

START TIME: Please arrive by 10:45 AM, so we will be ready to start our tour at 11:00 AM. If you are running late, please notify the Foundation by calling 914 864-1425.

A staff member will meet us at the main entrance at the designated start time. There will be a short introduction to the collection followed by a tour highlighting some of the key works and artists. We will have time at the end of the tour for independent viewing and sketching.

SHOW and TELL: We will do show and tell at the end of our sketching time. This is the social part of our day where we share our drawings, tips, and stories.  We will do show and tell either at the Foundation or outside if weather permits.

LUNCH: Food and drinks are not permitted in the Foundation so lunch will be on our own.

NOTES:

• Admission is free.
• Parking, while ample, is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• If possible, secure coats and personal items in your vehicle prior to entering the building.
• Coats, and other personal belongings brought into the building will be stored in the coatroom before the start of the tour.
• Pencils only - no pens or markers.
• Limited seating available. Bring a stool if you have one. 

Please RSVP to Cathy (westchester@nycurbansketchers.org) as soon as possible. We will be providing an attendee list to the Foundation.

Looking for us? Call/text: Marianne at (914) 355-2420.

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

Wednesday June 30, 2025 Weekday Sketchers on Roosevelt Island

 

Weekday Sketchers on Roosevelt Island for Cherry Blossom Season

There are so many places in New York to see the seasonal display of cherry blossoms.  One of the best is Roosevelt Island.  Join us this Wednesday to capture their beauty against the backdrop of the Queensboro Bridge,  the UN building and the Queens waterfront with the cherry trees in the foreground.  

DATE: WEDNESDAY APRIL 30, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: WALKWAY ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND 

                    We will meet along the west side of the island (UN View) on the walkway under the cherry trees.  Turn left (south) out of the subway or tram stations and continue down the walkway under the bridge to the walkway.        

TRANSPORTATION:  F Train to Roosevelt Island, or the Roosevelt Island Tram

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• WE will meet on the west side (UN view) of the island on the walkway under the cherry blossoms 
• There are plenty of benches but bringing a stool gives you more options for viewpoints
• Bring lunch or purchase it from the cafe at the Cornell Center
• Bathrooms, food and water are available

Walkway on west side of Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island w meeting spot and cafe

Weekday Sketchers Schedule May and June

Weekday Sketchers Schedule for May and June

John Chamberlain Sculptures

In an effort to help you plan to attend the Weekday Sketchers events, here is the schedule for May and June.   Please note that this is a suggested list and can change due to weather and other unforeseen events.  Please make sure to check the blog and social media for accurate information.

Wednesday May 7                      Conservatory Garden, Central Park

Wednesday May 14                    Stonewall Museum

Monday May 19                        Special Event: Jamaica Bay Bird Walk and Sketching 

Wednesday May 21                    "NY Roots" Garment District

Wednesday May 28                    Gansevoort Peninsular

Wednesday June 4                       Riverside Park : Art Students League "Works in Public"

Wednesday June 11                     Rockefeller Center: John Chamberlain sculptures 

Wednesday June 18                    Edgar Alan Poe House

Wednesday June 25                    Domino Park/Square

Saturday, April 26, 2025-new sketch location-Pier 57

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @10 am - 3pm 

Pier 57 - 25 11th ave @15th street

Meet at the “Living Room” the open seating beyond the food court (heading west toward the water from the 11th Ave. entrance)

Originally built as a shipping and storage terminal, Pier 57 at Hudson River Park has been reimagined as a food hall and community space. With food venues curated by the James Beard Foundation, the pier is a fabulous place to eat, draw, and take in the sites.  In addition to the colorful food stalls, Little Island and the Hudson River, adjacent to the pier, provide plenty of inspiration for urban sketching.

Should the weather cooperate, there is also a rooftop park.

There are public restrooms available. Stools are permitted.

How to get there: The A, C, and E trains at 8th Ave. and 14th is the closest subway line. There are also various bus routes that come close to the pier.

Hosted by Kim Hall (917) 566-7714