Sunday, June 1 - Sketch Domino Park

 

Domino Park is a 5-acre public park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It spans a quarter mile along the East River near the Williamsburg Bridge, at the Domino Sugar Refinery site.

The park has a beautiful mix of urban and scenic views, including the Williamsburg Bridge and Downtown Manhattan. With lots of people, elevated walkways, playgrounds, grassy areas and fountains and salvaged factory equipment displayed (including 4 syrup collection tanks), it’s a great place to find sketching inspiration.

MEETING SPOT, LUNCH, AND SHOW & TELL: Domino Square - 15 River St, Brooklyn, NY

NOTES: There are lots of benches and places to sit, but feel free to bring a stool for more sketching options. Anticipate sun and temperatures to be 60° or higher, so bring a hat and dress accordingly. Food, water and bathrooms are all available in the park.

Host: Marvel Muñoz (848) 345-1969

SUNDAY, June 1, 2025: Westchester Sketchers at Caramoor

 

Join us to help Caramoor kick-off their 80th Summer Season

Located on the grounds of a former estate, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is a destination for exceptional music, captivating programs, spectacular gardens, and grounds. It enriches the lives of its audiences through innovative and diverse musical performances of the highest quality.

We will explore the lush grounds, and the settings of the historic Rosen House, Spanish Courtyard, and gardens to find inspiration for our artwork.  Click here for more details about the kick-off event: https://caramoor.org/event/welcome-summer-open-house-grounds/

DETAILS:

Where: Caramoor https://caramoor.org/visit/

149 Girdle Ridge Road in Katonah, NY 10536. Phone: 914-232-1252

When: SUNDAY, June 1, 2025. The event officially starts at 12 PM, but you can come earlier to start sketching earlier.

Directions: https://caramoor.org/visit/getting-to-caramoor/

Transportation from NYC: Take the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad to Katonah Station. Caramoor is a 3.5-mile drive from the Katonah station. For current information, check the Metro-North schedule. NOTE: If you need a ride from the station, please call Marianne to arrange for pick up.

Lunch: We will not have lunch together. There will some concessions, but it may be best to bring your own food. Show & Tell: 2:30PM Location TBD. We will share stories and sketches during the social part of our day.

NOTES:
- Bring drinking water.
- There are lots of benches but bring a stool for more options.
- Dress for sunshine. Bring a hat and sunscreen.
- Restrooms are available.
- Parking is free.

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

Please R.S.V.P. to Cathy Gutterman westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

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

THURSDAY, May 29, 2025: Westchester Sketchers Plein Air Day at the Scarsdale Public Library

 

Come join the Westchester Division of the NYC Urban Sketchers for a fun and supportive day of ‘en plein air’ (in the open air.) painting or drawing on the beautiful grounds of the Scarsdale Public Library. This this event is meant to be an opportunity for people to relax, create art and make new friends.  

At the end of the day, we will have the opportunity to display our artwork in the Library. Please bring individual sheets of paper so that you won't need to remove them from your sketchbook. This event will be held rain or shine.

DETAILS

DATE: THURSDAY, May 29, 2025. 

START TIME: 10:00 AM We'll meet in Meeting Room North/South to chat and get set up, but most of the day we will be sketching as you like.

LOCATION:  Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Rd, Scarsdale, NY 10583Phone: (914) 722-1300

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//54+Olmsted+Rd,+Scarsdale,+NY+10583

Lunch: 12:30 PM. Stop back in Meeting Room for some cool drinks and to take a break while showing off your new creations! 

NOTES: 

• Bring water and your lunch or a snack. 
• Clipboards, stools, etc. are not necessary to participate, but bringing them can offer more options.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

Please ALSO register through the Library at: 

https://www.scarsdalelibrary.org/event/plein-air-drawing-westchester-nyc-urban-sketchers-109428

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

May 28 2025 Weekday Sketchers at Gansevoort Peninsula

UPDATE

The weather report for tomorrow's event is calling for cloudy conditions until later in the afternoon when it is expected to rain.  We will continue with our Wednesday sketch event as planned at the Gansevoort Peninsula.  If the weather does change we can go indoors to Pier 57 or the Whitney. 

Weekday Sketchers at Gansevoort Peninsula 

Built on land and not a pier, the development of Gansevoort Peninsula, has given us a sandy beach right on the Hudson River.  Just south of Little Island, is Gansevoort Peninsula is the newest addition to Hudson River Park.  It offers us a beach, lawn, a salt marsh,  picnic tables and fabulous views of across the Hudson River and the NYC skyline.  Bring your sketchbook, a blanket and sunscreen for a unique beach adventure. 

Fun Fact:  The end of the Peninsula is the original 13th Avenue. (Did you know that there was a 13th Avenue? It had to be taken away when the ships got larger and blocked the shipping lanes in the river when docked!) 

For information about the park, click here: https://hudsonriverpark.org/locations/gansevoort-peninsula/

DATE: WEDNESDAY MAY 28, 2025

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: GANSEVOORT PENINSULA

                            Hudson River between Gansevoort St and Little West 12th Street

TRANSPORTATION: Any train to 14th Street and then the crosstown bus to the Hudson River.  Walk north to the peninsula

    

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
• Bring your lunch and snacks

Special Notice:  If it rains on Wednesday the venue will be the Whitney Museum of American Art

NYC USk Drawing Retreat September 14 -September 17, 2025

 BRANDYWINE AND LONGWOOD GARDENS

A Drawing Retreat

 

Come join us for a fun filled mini drawing vacation. Experience the beauty of Longwood Gardens and capture it in your sketchbooks.  Draw in the footsteps of the famous Wyeth family.

When: Sunday, September 14 through Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

Lodging: – The Inn at Mendenhall, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Interested?  Contact Marianne Milzoff at secretary@nycurbansketchers.org For more information and itinerary

 

 

 

Workshop June 21 with Danna Feintuch

 

Workshop With Danna Feintuch-Bold Lettering and Graphic Style

When: Saturday June 21, 2025 from 10am-1pm

Where: Little Island

For more information and to sign up click here.

Markers donated by Caran d-Ache and paper from Strathmore paper.

How do we make our art work stand out? We will explore Contrast, Composition, and eye-catching Fonts in this workshop on using lettering and graphic style in creating art. Students will learn how to find their own unique lettering and add words to a location sketch to establish flow and unity throughout. Danna will share examples of fun ways to introduce lettering into the negative spaces of a piece. She will also teach how to think about contrast, and where it can be added to make a powerful image. You will leave having learned how to be free with your own fonts and a desire to utilize the entire page of your sketchbook.

Click Here for more info and to sign up

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

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

 

PROGRAM CANCELLED

Rain, rain go away,  Urban Sketchers want to play!

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.

PROGRAM CANCELED

Rain, rain go away,  Urban Sketchers want to play!

Our Broadway debut will have to wait for another day. 

 Enjoy sketching indoors !

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