There are some places that we never tire of, the New York Botanic Garden is one of those magical places that keep us coming back time and time again. The Garden is just waking up from winter and early blooming plants are on display.  Join us Wednesday to wander the gardens and capture the magic in your sketch books.

DATE: WEDNESDAY April 8, 2026

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  NEW YORK BOTANIC GARDEN

                        2900 SOUTHERN BOULEVARD

                        BRONX, NY

                      

TRANSPORTATION: There are multiple ways of getting to the NYBG by public transit, Metro North or car.  Visit the web site for the route that is easiest for you : https://www.nybg.org/visit/directions/

HOSTS:  Marianne Milzoff 914 355 6507 and Cathy Gutterman 914 625 0766

• Marianne will greet sketchers arriving by train at the Marsulu Entrance.  Cathy will greet sketchers arriving by car at the Parking Lot entrance. 

• . We will meet for Throw Down in front of the Conservatory at 1:30 PM 

• There is an entrance fee. HOWEVER entrance is FREE all day  Wednesdays for NYC residents, and free for non-NYC residents  between 10AM-11AM.

• Food, water and bathrooms are available. 

• Bring a stool, a hat and sunscreen.  

• You can use watercolors outdoors

• For additional information about the NYBG click here: https://www.nybg.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.

Workshop: From Sketches to Stories with Shawne Cooper - Elizabeth Street Garden - April 26

Everyone has a story to tell - and sometimes, the smallest moments hold the most meaning.  This workshop invites you to slow down, notice what’s around you, and turn everyday scenes into rich, personal narratives. 

Together we will reimagine our sketchbooks as more than just to draw. They’ll becomes spaces to observe, reflect, and tell stories - where images and words come alive side by side. If you’ve ever wanted to add writing to your sketches but weren’t sure where to begin, this is a welcoming place to start. 

Using simple prompts, you’ll learn how to transform what you see into small, meaningful stories. Set in the beautiful Elizabeth Street Garden - a hidden oasis filled with charming details, unexpected characters, and inspiring scenes - you’ll have plenty to spark your creativity.

For information and tickets:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1985373701185?aff=oddtdtcreator

 

Met Museum 

Islamic  

1000 Fifth Ave, 10028

TUESDAY, March 24, 2026 at 10:30 A

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a treasure trove of art in every dimension.  This week we will visit  the Islamic Collection. Explore the Moroccan Court, built on site by world class artisans, capture the ceramics and replicate the beautiful calligraphy in your sketch books. Meet Frieda in the Islamic Gallery on the second floor and join the group for a day of sketching.  Show and tell will take place in the educational area on the lower level near the 81St entrance. 

DATE: TUESDAY March 31, 2026

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

TRANSPORTATION: 4, 5, 6,  to 86th Street.  Walk west to 5th Ave and then south to the museum t

HOST: Frieda Christofides 917 747 6060

NOTES: 

• There is an entrance fee $30  for adults and $22 for Seniors.  Various discount programs are accepted including the NYC Culture Pass, AAM etc 

• Be prepared to work in dry materials

• Water and bathrooms are available

• No food is allowed in the galleries

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.

Saturday 3/28: Weekend Sketchers at The National Museum of the American Indian

The NMAI is part of the Smithsonian Institution, and is dedicated to preserving and presenting the diverse cultures of Native peoples from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego. Designed by Cass Gilbert, the architect of the Woolworth Building, originally as the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House, the building is stunning inside and out. A true a NYC Beaux Arts masterpiece.

HOST: Dan Honig (917) 843-5539

DATE: Saturday 3/28/26

TIME: Sketching 10:00am - 3pm | Show and Tell beginning at 3pm. 

LOCATION: The National Museum of the American Indian, One Bowling Green, Manhattan, NYC

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: Check with the host day-of for the exact show-and-tell location. 

VENUE RULES: Admission is Free. The only restriction I could find on the website was no tripods, but be prepared to sketch in dry media. Stools seem to be allowed. As always, please listen to the guards, we want to be welcomed back with open arms. 

FOOD, DRINK, RESTROOMS: There are restrooms in the museum. There are food options in the neighborhood. 

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.

THURSDAY, March 26, 2026: WESTCHESTER SKETCHERS at Pelham Art Center

 

The Pelham Art Center is a non-profit educational and cultural institution committed to providing access to study, experience and appreciate the arts.

In a social climate steadily tightening toward uniformity, without an inherent promise of unity, the current exhibit, called PROTEAN CORE, offers alternate visions. The exhibition proposes a world where fluidity is trusted as an essential and historied tool for resilience and growth. Five artists roam the expanses between self and community, custom and disruption, or stability and risk. By embracing amalgamation and mutability, these artists reframe impermanence as a generative force—one that allows for new configurations of belonging and collaboration.

HOST: Cathy Gutterman (914) 625-0766

DATE: Thursday, March 26, 2026
TIME: 10:00 AM Show and Tell following lunch.

LOCATION: Pelham Art Center, 155 Fifth Ave. Pelham, NY 10803

DIRECTIONS: https://www.pelhamartcenter.org/about/visit/

FROM Grand Central Terminal, NYC: Take the Metro North New Haven Line to the Pelham Station. Walk north on Fifth Avenue two blocks north past the village green, to 155 Fifth Avenue.

NOTES:

• Bring your own lunch. Show and Tell will be held following lunch.

• Metered street parking is available. 25¢ per 15 minutes. Free 2-hour parking also nearby. 

• Limited chairs will be available. Bring your own stool if you have one.  

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.

Workshop: Drawing People in Mixed Media with Min Lee - April 18

Come to The Hugh on April 18th to learn how to draw people by creating layers using both wet and dry media.  Min will demonstrate how to employ different materials to create patterns before you begin to draw your character. The patterns will be used for the background, clothing and accessories of the character.

For more information and tickets, see Eventbrite:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984064412066?aff=oddtdtcreator

March 25, 2026 Weekday Sketchers at Asia Society

 

The Asia Society Museum specializing in showcasing art from all over Asia, has mounted a new exhibition of selections from the Rockefeller Collection entitled Buddha and Shiva Lotus and Dragon.  Join us to capture the beautiful representations of these icons of Asia art, religion and culture. 

DATE: Wednesday March 25, 2026

STARTING TIME: 11:00 AM

TRANSPORTATION: 6 train to East 68th Street/Hunter College; F or Q to East 63rd Street/Lexington Avenue.

HOST: Marianne Milzoff 914 355 6507

NOTES: 

There is an admission fee of $15 for Adults and $10 for Seniors.  The museum accepts many discount programs. Please check the web site for more information. https://asiasociety.org/museum

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.

Saturday 3/21/26: Columbus Circle

The Shops at Columbus Circle, (aka the Deutsche Bank Center, formerly known as the Time Warner Center), will serve as our home base for food, restrooms, and shelter, but we’re really there for the location.  The forecast right now calls for a sunny 60 degrees, so hopefully we can get outside to sketch the Circle, the statuary, Central Park, street vendors, beautiful architecture, and so much more.

If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we have a great indoor location, still with views of Columbus Circle, its own impressive art collection, over 40 specialty retailers, 10 restaurants, and a Whole Foods. Either way we won’t miss a beat!

**For those of you keeping score at home, please note that there are two sketching events this weekend: This one on Saturday at Columbus Circle is our usual weekend meetup. The event on Sunday at 150W17TH is a special event, for which you must RSVP, and there is a $5 suggested donation to attend (see the blog post for more information on that one). 

HOST: Leslie Sim  516-633-2340

DATE: Saturday 3/21/26

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

SKETCHING LOCATION: The Shops at Columbus Circle. 10 Columbus Circle, New York, NY

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:  Let’s try the area next to the Moleskine Kiosk on the 2nd Floor. I believe there is a nook there out of the path of traffic. As always, check with the host day-of to confirm the exact location.

FOOD, DRINK, RESTROOMS, SEATING: Yes to all. I’m not sure about stools in The Shops, so stool at your own risk, but hopefully it is warm enough to be outside. Please listen to the guards. 

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.

Sunday 3/22/26: Special Event- Weekend Sketchers at 150W17TH

 

Contact Leslie Soon!...

Join us for a truly unique opportunity on Sunday, March 22, from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM.

A visit to 150W17TH (150 West 17th Street) to study the architecture of the historic building and attend a private tour of an interactive space that is traveling the globe.  

Advance registration is required. We are limited to approx. 40 sketchers.
Please sign up by March 17 by emailing Leslie Sim at lesliegsim@gmail.com.

A $5 suggested donation per person is requested to help cover the cost of an additional security guard for the day. Donations may be paid directly to Leslie Sim, who will cover the full expense.

Schedule

·  10:00–11:00 AM: Private tour 

·  11:00 AM–2:15 PM: Sketch at your leisure

·  2:15 PM: Show & tell on the first floor

Additional Details

·  Entrance/Exit: Please use the main glass-door entrance at 150 West 17th Street

·  Water medium is allowed

·  IMPORTANT: the hosts have asked that we NOT share art from this event on social media.

·  Lunch: Tables in the café area are available for those who bring lunch

·  Seating: Ample gallery stools and chairs with backs will be available

Host:
Leslie Sim
lesliegsim@gmail.com
516-633-2340