SATURDAY: Sketch the Central Synagogue

Sketching the Central Synagogue

Created and Hosted by Susan Hurwich

My walking path to get to the High School of Art & Design Draw-a-thon usually takes me past the Central Synagogue on Lexington Ave.  The place always fascinated me. The architecture (Moorish Revival) is unusual.  We've never attempted sketching the exterior. Each year, as I walked past, I observed that the surrounding tall buildings kept the sunshine from creating the beautiful shadows we all love to sketch.   How unfortunate, I’d think, and then, as an afterthought I always wondered what it looks like on the inside.

Susan Hurwich  arranged for a special sketching opportunity this coming Saturday.  We will arrive after the morning Sabbath service and will sketch at the Synagogue until mid afternoon.  I am so curious to see the interior.  It looks gorgeous.  

Pay attention to the details, - the times for this sketch are different from our usual plan.

CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE

Central Synagogue was designed by Henry Fernbach, a prominent Jewish American architect in 1871. The style is Moorish Revival.  The dramatic design was the subject of much debate during the construction.

Options for (pencil sketching only) include::

1) Stained Glass -  The side walls of the Sanctuary feature 12, 2 story stained glass windows created in 1948, and the northeast roundel has glass salvaged from a 1998 fire dedicated to the firefighters who saved so much of the building.

2) Stencil Work - The synagogue’s interior covers the walls with highly patterned, colorful designs – historic and elaborate floral and lattice work patterns.

3) The Wonderful Details -  The pews are made of intricately carved walnut and ash. 40,000 encaustic tiles make up the floor tiles in a wide range of colors, patterns and sizes.

DETAILS:

WHAT:  We will be sketching the interior of the Central Synagogue

WHEN:   We’ll start our day on March 16, 2024 at  11:30  AM and we’ll need to leave at 2 PM

WHERE:  The Synagogue is located at 652 Lexington Ave.  Our entrance is on 55 th street off the corner of Lexington Ave. It has a lobby with security guards.  Meet there at 11:30.  The morning service in the Sanctuary ends at that time. 

HOW:  We’ve been asked to limit our sketching to pencil only.  I’m thinking that the brilliant stained glass windows demand color, so I’ll be bringing colored pencils.

LUNCH:  Come well fed.  We only have a short time there so we have no lunch planned.

SHOW and TELL:   2:00 PM.  Without knowing the place it’s hard to say where.  We’ll figure it out on site.  This is the social part of our sketching day, when we share our artwork and talk about the things that interest artists.  (Best conversations of the week!)

NOTE:

-  Although I always suggest bringing a stool, we’ll probably be able to use the pews. 

Can't find us?  

Call or Text Mark - 973-809-9128

There are no fees or attendance taken. 

All drawing skill levels are welcome

FRIDAY, March 15, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at the Hudson River Museum, Yonkers

 The Hudson River Museum is a preeminent cultural institution in Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area. Situated on the banks of the Hudson River in Yonkers, New York, the HRM’s mission is to engage, inspire, and connect diverse communities through the power of the arts, sciences, and history.

Current exhibitions include:

Rivers Flow / Artists Connect

The cultural, social, and spiritual significance of rivers is universal, as proven by their enduring presence in art and in our collective imagination. In this exhibit, American artists from the 1820s to the present day explore and illuminate our profound, symbiotic relationship with significant rivers across the globe, from the Hudson and the Susquehanna to the Indus and the Seine.

A Feast for the Eyes: Sumptuous Still Lives

Still-life paintings are deceptively straightforward. They depict groups of objects as their main subject matter—flowers, food, drink, and the vessels that contain them—yet they are often imbued with symbolic meaning and offer a new way of looking at everyday items. This exhibit invites you to revel in lush expressions of beauty, sustenance, and abundance spanning 150 years.

Optional: Highlights of Glenview: Historic House Tour at 1 PM 

Glenview is an 1877 Gilded Age home on the National Register of Historic Places, designed by architect Charles W. Clinton. The home reflects the lifestyle of its former residents, the Trevor family, and features fine woodworking, furnishings, decorative objects, paintings, and sculptures. Enjoy a 45-minute guided tour of historic Glenview’s six fully restored period rooms. Advance tickets are strongly encouraged.

DETAILS: 

DATE: FRIDAY, March 15, 2024

LOCATION: Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave. Yonkers, NY (914) 963-4550

DIRECTIONS: https://www.hrm.org/plan-your-visit/

From NYC: Take the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line local train to Glenwood Station. Walk 1 block east on Glenwood Avenue, and then turn left onto Ravine Avenue. At the end of Ravine Avenue, enter Trevor Park. Follow the path to the main entrance of the Museum.

START TIME: 12:00 PM (Opening time)

LUNCH: Since the Museum opens at Noon, we won’t have a scheduled time for lunch.  Please bring your own lunch/snack, or purchase something from the Museum Shop.

SHOW and TELL: 2:30 PM A classroom has been reserved for us from 2:30-5 PM. This is the social portion of our day when we will share our drawings, techniques, and stories. It is a time not to be missed.

NOTES:

• Admission: $13 for Adults, $9 for Seniors. Free for members. Tickets are available for purchase online or at (914) 963-4550 during business hours. Tickets are non-refundable.  Reservations are accepted by credit card only.
• Museum passes to the HRM are available at the Greenburgh Public Library and other Westchester libraries with your library card.
• Tickets for Glenview tours and planetarium shows are an additional purchase and are not included in general admission.  Adults +$7 each; Seniors +$6 each.
• Stools will be available for our use.
•  DRY MATERIALS ONLY (in the Galleries). Wet materials may be used in the classroom.

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

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

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

Weekday Sketchers at Eldridge Street Museum and Synagogue

This week  we celebrate one of our own, while visiting another tribute to the immigrant story that forms the basic fabric of New York City.  Formerly a practicing congregation, the building fell into terrible disrepair with the exit of the Jewish population from the Lower East Side.  The Eldridge Street Project was formed to repair and preserve this building and the heritage of this area.  Embroidered on this legacy is Adrianne Ottenberg's exhibit "28 Remarkable Women and One Scoundrel" highlighting the life of women who have made a significant contribution to NYC and especially the LES.  Adrianne has captured their lives on beautiful silk banners displayed throughout the building.  Bloomberg Connects has added to the experience by providing audio introductions of the women who tell their stories through taped narratives.

Join us as we explore the lives of these women, some whom you have heard of (Emma Lazarus, Emma Goldberg and Lillian Ward) and many you will meet for the first time.  Set in the exquisitely renovated building with beautifully carved woodwork, colorful stained glass and intricately painted walls, you will surely find many scenes to capture in your sketchbooks.

For more information about the exhibit and the museum, click here: https://www.eldridgestreet.org

And for a Bonus, Adrianne will be joining us to provide information about her exhibit and paintings. 

Questions, comments and RSVP directly to President@nycurbanskerchers.org. 

DO NOT respond to this email as you inquiry will go to a "dead letter" file. 

DATE: WEDNESDAY MARCH 13, 2024

SATRTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: 12 ELDRIDGE STREET

                        Between Eldridge and Division Street 

TRANSPOERTATION:  Multiple train lines come near to the building.  For explicit directions, click here: https://www.eldridgestreet.org/visit

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• There is an admission charge of $15 for Adults and $10 for Seniors the AAM is accepted
• Be prepared to work in dry materials
• There are many places to sit in the building, no need to bring a stool
• Water and bathrooms are available 
• No food is allowed in the building 

TUESDAY, March 12, 2024: Nyack Sketchers at the Nyack Library

 

Come and Sketch the Views from the Nyack Library

Kay Copp Brown is starting a new sub-group of the NYC Urban Sketchers and she is inviting everyone to their first meeting at the Nyack Public Library.  

DETAILS

DATE: TUESDAY, March 12, 2024

START TIME: 2:00 PM. Gather in the Creative Lab before and after sketching.

LOCATION: Nyack Library, 59 S. Broadway, Nyack, NY 10690.    Phone: (845) 358-3370.  

DIRECTIONS: https://www.mapquest.com/us/new-york/the-nyack-library-371786551

NOTES:

• There are lots of chairs in the library, but you own stools may be used as long as they are not in the way of walking.
• Afterwards, we will plan to go the Art Cafe (next door to the library) for a cup of coffee or tea.

Please RSVP to Kay Copp Brown at kcoppbrown@aol.com
 
Looking for us? Call Kay at 631-432-6526

All skill levels welcome!

SATURDAY: Sketch the Motion

 

SATURDAY:  March 9, 2024

Museum of the Moving Image
In a city filled with museums there is nothing like this one.  

It is one of a kind! 

The Museum of the Moving Image is the country's only museum dedicated to the art, history, technique, and technology of the moving image in all its forms.


If you're a movie buff or a gamer, if you love TV, there is certainly going to be something for you that will inspire a brilliant sketch. The museum includes one of the most significant collections of video games and gaming hardware in the world.

DETAILS
What:  Museum of the Moving Image

When:  SATURDAY:  March 9, 2024.  The museum opens at noon - 12:00 PM

Where:  36-01 35 Avenue,  Astoria, NY (see map below)

Admission:

Access to all galleries, including special exhibitions.  $10–20 (free for MoMI members). Advance ticket purchase is not required; walk-up purchase is welcome. 

How:  

Closest subway stations are the E, M or R train to Steinway Street or the N or Q train to 36th Avenue. 

Please check with the MTA for any service changes.

• Take the R to Steinway Street. Use the 34 Avenue exit near the end of train. Walk south along Steinway Street; turn right on 35 Avenue. Proceed three blocks to Museum entrance just past 37 Street (Please note: the M is not running in Queens due to an MTA planned service change through early 2024)
• Take the E to Queens Plaza. Change to the R and proceed to Steinway Street. Follow the directions from the 34 Avenue exit as detailed above

For more directions from Brooklyn and other locations:  https://movingimage.org/visit/exploring-astoria/

Lunch:  No lunch - Since we're starting late there's no break for lunch. Suggestion: come well fed or bring a power bar to get you through until Show and Tell.

Show and Tell:  3:00 Location to be determined onsite.  Show and Tell is the social part of our day when we'll share our drawings, and talk about the things that only artists talk about. 

Click to Enlarge

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

There are no fees or attendance taken. 

All drawing skill levels are welcome.

THURSDAY, March 7, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at the Pelham Art Center

  

Serving the Pelham community since 1970, the Pelham Art Center is a non-profit educational and cultural institution committed to providing access to study, experience, and appreciate the arts.

The current exhibit, “Meditation II," brings together five artists working in painting and sculpture.  Their work resonates with calming and healing practices as a form of meditation.  Large-scale paintings, steel sculptures, and fou
nd object assemblage pieces come together to have a quiet conversation showing the expanse of artistic practices with both abstraction and representational works.

If weather permits, we can sketch the outdoor public artworks, created by New York Street artists, on the Third Street Facade of the Center.

DETAILS:

DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 2024

Start time: 10:00 AM 

LOCATION: The Pelham Art Center 155 5th Ave, Pelham, NY 10803 

Phone: (914) 738-2525. 

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. 

SHOW and Tell: 12:30 PM. 

NOTES:

• Parking is a challenge due to ongoing construction in the area. Be prepared for metered parking with quarters or download the Passport Parking App.

• We can use watercolors when working on the murals outside of the Center but use dry media only inside the gallery.

• Drawing stools are permitted.

Please RSVP to westchester@nycurbansketchers.com.

Looking for us? 

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

Weekday Sketchers at MOCA 

(Museum of Chinese in America) 

Every group that has emigrated to America has their version of "The American Story", MOCA is the Chinese American Story.  Housed in a wonderfully renovated building on Center Street just north of Canal Street,  the museum traces the journey both physical and cultural of the Chinese as they make their way into America, through their trials and contributions as they assimilate into this new world. 

For more information about the museum, its collections and the current exhibits, click here:https://www.mocanyc.org 

DATE: WEDNESDAY MARCH 6, 2024

STARTING TIME: 11:00 AM (when the Museum Opens)

LOCATION: 215 Center Street between Howard and Grand, one block north of Canal

TRANSPORTATION: Any subway that stops at Canal.  Walk to Center St and turn north to the museum

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@NYCurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• There is NO admission charge to the museum
• We will meet at 11:00 when the museum opens
• Water and bathrooms are available. 
• We will NOT break for lunch but meet at 1:00 for a show and tell