THURSDAY, January 18, 2024: Westchester Sketchers the Greenwich Historical Society

In the spring of 1957, Chinese-born ceramic artist Katherine Po-Yu Choy (1927-1958), a rising talent in the field of American studio art pottery, gathered a small group of passionate like-minded artists in the working class New York City suburb of Port Chester, New York.  Under Choy’s leadership this group founded the “Clay Art Center for Advanced Study in Ceramics and Sculpture”―known more familiarly then and now as simply Clay Art Center―a cooperative studio dedicated to creative ceramic art.

The Clay Art Center was one of the first studio spaces devoted solely to the study and practice of artistic ceramics in the United States.  Buoyed by Choy’s growing celebrity for her boundary-pushing sculptural clay vessels, Clay Art Center’s reputation quickly grew among American potters. Meanwhile its artists put down roots in the communities of Port Chester and neighboring Greenwich, Connecticut.

Featuring ceramic works and archival material drawn from Clay Art Center’s collections, Radical Pots & Cooperative Hands will feature a number of Katherine Choy’s dynamic, genre-defining ceramic pots presented alongside letters, photographs and archival material that tell the story of Clay Art Center’s remarkable presence in the mid-century artistic community of New York and southeastern Connecticut.

DETAILS:

DATE: THURDAY January 18. 2024
Start time: 10:00 AM.

LOCATION: Greenwich Historical Society https://greenwichhistory.org/ 

47 Strickland Road, Cos Cob, CT 06807 Phone: 203-869-6899

DIRECTIONS: https://greenwichhistory.org/directions/

TRANSPORTATION from NYC: Greenwich Historical Society is within easy walking distance from the Metro-North Cos Cob train station (less than a mile). From the New York bound side, head east on Strickland Road.  From the New Haven bound side, walk under the tracks at the far end of the platform and turn right on to Strickland Road.  Greenwich Historical Society is on the left just past the I-95 overpass.

LUNCH: 1:00 PM.  Bring your own.  We will have lunch and Show and Tell in the cafe which will have complimentary coffee and tea.

SHOW and TELL: Following lunch, we will share our drawings and tell stories. This is the social part of our day and not to be missed.

NOTES:

- Bring a stool if you have one. It gives you more options.

- Admission: $10 adults, $8 seniors. Admission includes access to Museum Galleries, Special Exhibitions and guided tours of the Bush-Holley House.

- Guided tours of the Bush-Holley House are offered at 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM, and 3:00 PM.
- If you have any questions, please do not use "reply all."   It will not work. Instead, send a note to Cathy at the email address listed below.

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. All drawing skill levels are welcome.

Weekday Sketchers At Poe House

Did you know that all those scary tales of beating hearts and talking crows were created right here in the Bronx?  

 Join us this week as we travel to the home of Edgar Allen Poe. 

This modest cottage, which Poe rented for $100. per year, has survived over 225 years on the Grand Concourse. The house was built around 1797 and preserving its historical value began in 1889 when it was sold for $775 to William Fearing Gill who later became Poe's first American biographer.  The cottage is now part of the Historic House Trust, and administered by the Bronx County Historical Society since 1975. 

The head of the Bronx County Historical Society will give us a tour before we sketch - lots of interesting background. 

For more information about the Poe House, click here: https://bronxhistoricalsociety.org/poe-cottage

A big THANK YOU to Andrea Strongwater for making the arrangements for us to visit the Poe House

DATE:  WEDNESDAY JANUARY 17, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

                                There will be a guided tour of the house upon arrival

LOCATION: POE HOUSE 

                        2640 GRAND CONCOURSE, BRONX

TRANSPORTATION: 

• Take the D train to Kingsbridge Road stop in The Bronx. Poe Park, where the cottage is situated, is outside the station.
• Take the 4 train to Kingsbridge Road stop in The Bronx. Walk east to Grand Concourse. The cottage is located across the boulevard, on the right.

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• There is an entrance fee to the museum.$5.00 for Adults. $3.00 for Seniors
• Bring a stool
• Water and bathrooms are available
• We will break for lunch at 1:00 PM
• Be prepared to work in dry materials

Urban Sketching WinterTalks

 

The weather's cold, the nights are long, and our only sketchinbg choices are indoors.

It's Winter!

And that means it's time for NYC Urban Sketchers WinterTalks.

WHAT ARE WINTERTALKS?

If artists ran the networks, if sketchers controlled the media, and our friends were in charge of programming, television would be wonderful.  Every show would be geared to delight people like us.  In our own small way that's what we're trying to do.  Each talk will only run one hour.  Each talk will hopefully be fascinating.​  We will have one talk for each winter month - January, February and March.  

Signup for our first session will start in a few days.

1)  January 24, Wednesday at 7 :30 PM - our first talk will explore what happens to an urban sketch when it grows up?  If an urban sketch starts out as a 20 minute impression where could a twenty hour exploration in full oil color take us.  Our presenter will be Garin Baker, one of the most popular teachers at the Art Students League.  Garin will discuss his painting "The 21st Street Crosswalk".

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2)  February 28th, Wednesday at 7:30 PM - our second talk will be with Patrick Bringley the author of "All the Beauty in the World".  LIfe events take Patrick from his dream job at the New Yorker to working as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum.  It's a fascinating story.  At one point he says that the artwork at the Met is like people, some are easy to know quickly, and others reveal their secrets slowly.  As well as we all know the Met, a favorite, sketching location for us, we have not lived with these pieces for years. If you haven't read All the Beauty in the World, you'd probably love it.  Consider our second talk a book club event. You'll enjoy it much more if you've already read the book.

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3)  March 20th, Wednesday at 7:30 PM - our last talk will be about the intersection of art and optics, a fascinating topic suggested by Dina Schlesinger.  This should be a very interesting topic since it explores some art topics that we never talk about.  It would probably be better not to go into much detail, but this will be a presentation that we'll discuss for quite a while.

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NOTES

• The WinterTalks will be virtual.  
• They will be short - only lasting for one hour.  
• The talks are free, but we need your help.  Our Zoom license only allows 100 registered attendees. 
• Question: Since there's no cost - why not sign up even if you're not sure you can attend?  
• Answer: Taking a spot that you don't use blocks someone else from registering.  You get it!  If you sign up - please attend.
• Who is that guy with snow on his face in the photo?  Not sure, but it definitely has a winter feel, doesn't it?

 NYC Urban Sketchers Art Expo at the Philippine Consulate 

This past December the NYC Urban Sketchers had the opportunity to visit the Philippine Consulate. The drawings we did will now be on display until the end of January.  The opening reception is Tuesday January 16 at 6:00 PM Please join us to celebrate the 50th Year of the Consulate in NYC and the wonderful work that our members have produced.  

SUNDAY: Sketch the Rubin

SUNDAY, January  14th, 2024

The Rubin is an extraordinary museum dedicated to the art and cultures of the Himalayas, India and neighboring regions, with a really strong emphasis  on Tibetan art.  Every time I visit I’m struck by how deep the world of art is.  You could spend a lifetime exploring each wonderful path and alley. The Rubin is one such path.

This surprisingly large beautifully designed museum is a real NYC treasure.  Each item on display tells a story, and was lovingly collected and beautifully displayed. The Rubin Museum reminds us that artistic expression is part of what it means to be a human, a message that resonates for Urban Sketchers.

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DETAILS:

WHAT:  We will be sketching indoors at the Rubin Museum

WHEN:   The museum opens its doors at  11:00 AM​ on January 14, 2024.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we'll be there, ​. . . but you'll miss the astounding feeling of being nearly alone in a wonderful museum​!

WHERE:  The Rubin is located at 150 W 17th St, NYC.  

HOW:  

There are loads of subways nearby: ,

 -   A, C, or E to 14th Street (at 8th Avenue)

-   1 to 18th Street (at 7th Avenue)

-   2, 3 to 14th Street (at 7th Avenue)

-   F, L, M to 14th Street (at 6th Avenue)

-   N, Q, R, 4, 5, 6 to 14th Street-Union Square

By Car:  Parking is difficult although there is no alternate side of the street parking on Sunday which makes things a little easier.

LUNCH:  12:30 PM  - The Museum has a wonderful cafeteria on the first floor, with interesting healthy dishes.  There are also many places to get food in the neighborhood. We’ll be eating together in their cafeteria.

AFTERNOON:  1:15 PM  Back to sketching..

SHOW AND TELL:  3:00 PM  Location to be determined - probably in the Rubin’s cafeteria.. This is the social part of our day where we will share our sketches, tell stories, and probably talk about art supplies.

NOTE:

-  Bring a stool - it gives you more options.  

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Can't find us?  

Call or Text Mark - 973-809-9128

There are no fees or attendance taken. All drawing skill levels are welcome

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THURSDAY, January 11, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at The Westchester Mall

 

The Westchester is the ultimate shopping destination for the Metropolitan New York Region. This high-end shopping mall is a work of art with spectacular glass skylights and marble columns. With total sky lighting above marble and carpeted floors below, commissioned sculptures, and fantastic customer service, all the amenities of Madison and 5th Avenue, are available under one roof.

Try your hand at sketching the many statues and upscale storefronts and shoppers. 

DETAILS: 

DATE: THURSDAY, January 11, 2024. 

Start time: 10:00 AM.  Meet at the Savor Food Hall, located on level 4.

LOCATION: The Westchester Mall, 125 Westchester Ave., White Plains, NY 10601.  Phone:  (914) 683-6800

DIRECTIONS and Parking 

Directions: https://www.simon.com/mall/the-westchester/about

The Westchester is located in White Plains at the corner of Bloomingdale Road and Westchester Avenue, exit 8 or 8W, right off Route 287.

The Parking area for access to the Savor Food Hall at The Westchester is the one on Paulding Street, located on the North side between P.F. Chang's and Nordstrom. This parking garage is located on the right just before the valet parking, as you turn into Paulding Street from Westchester Avenue.

Transportation from NYC: Use the Harlem Line of the Metro-North Railroad to arrive in White Plains.  Please call (800) METRO-INFO or visit https://new.mta.info/schedules for schedule and fare information. Taxicabs are readily available for hire to ride to The Westchester Mall.  To arrange for pick up, please contact Marianne (mmilzoff@optimum.net).

LUNCH: 1:00 PM in the Savor Food Court.  Bring your own or buy from the food vendors.

SHOW and TELL: Following lunch we will share our drawings and tell stories.  This is the social part of our day and is not to be missed.

NOTES:

- Seating areas can be found throughout the Mall, but bringing a stool offers more options.

- Leave your coat in the car so you don't have to carry it.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman (cathygutterman@verizon.net).

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.

 

Weekday Sketchers at the Shah Garg Collection Wednesday

NYC is full of surprises and this is one of them!

A few weeks ago Meryl Greenblatt went to see a pop-up gallery show in Chelsea and was so taken with the exhibit that she contacted the owners of this private collection to make arrangements for us to sketch there!  A great BIG THANK YOU to Meryl for making these arrangements. 

Join us this week as we go to view and sketch a remarkable collection of 80 works of art, that were made by women artists, from 1946 to the present.  The show contains paintings, ceramics, textiles and sculptures of all kinds of styles and media by well know and little known artists 

The owners of the collection Komal Shah and Guarav Garg mounted this show entitled "Making Their Mark" for a few weeks in Chelsea and are now inviting us in to sketch it. Sarah Daoui of the Shah Garg Foundation will be there to introduce us to the collection and provide an overview. 

Read more about the Foundation, the collection, and the show’s inception here: 

https://www.shahgargfoundation.org/making-their-mark-exhibition

For information about Komal Shah and Guaroav Garg, click here: 

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/09/05/upcoming-new-york-exhibition-women-artists-komal-shah-gaurav-garg-collection-public-first-time

DATE: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 10, 2024

STARTING TIME: 11:00 AM (Gallery hours begin at 11:00)

LOCATION: 548 West 22nd Street between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues (the former home of Dia Chelsea)

TRANSPORTATION: C or E subways to 23rd Street and Eighth Avenue, then walk two blocks west. 

The M23 bus stops at 23rd Street/Tenth Avenue. 

The M 11 bus stops st 23rd Street at either Tenth Avenue (going uptown) or Ninth Avenue (going downtown).

Gallery and optional lunch locations

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org or Meryl Greenblatt at merylrgreenblatt@gmail.com.
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445 or Meryl at 646-248-9362. 
• Bring a stool.
• The Gallery has asked that we work in dry media.
• Bathrooms are available.
• We can’t eat in the building so we will have our Show and Tell then break for lunch. 
• For lunch, we will head over to Pier 57 on the Hudson at 15th Street. Bring your own food or pick up food and a beverage at the indoor food court. 
• After lunch you’ll have the opportunity to continue sketching at Pier 57. 

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