Weekday Sketchers at AMNH 

Let's squeeze a bit more holiday out of the season!

For the next two weeks we will visit two museums to sketch their holiday decorations before they are taken down.  This week it will be the American Museum of Natural History and next is the Museum of the City of New York. 

Just imagine a Christmas tree decorated with dinosaurs and elephants!  

Yes, it exists at the AMNH!

If you have never seen it, now is your chance to see the origami tree decorated with animals found in the museum's collection: Dinosaurs, elephants, insects, whales and so much more!

Beyond being decorative, the origami animals  feature species that evolved before and after the asteroid impact 66 million years ago.  AND to make this a bit more impactful  (speaking of asteroids!), you might want to visit the new exhibit The End of the Age of Dinosaurs on the 7th floor and take a look at the Stegosaurus skeleton on the 4th floor.  Thanks to Lorraine Smith for this suggestion. 

Thank you to Muriel Applebaum for making arrangements for this visit! 

See the special instruction below

For more information about the AMNH click here: https://www.amnh.org/?_gl=1*dx2zuy*_gcl_au*Nzk0NzY1MjkuMTczODg4NTc1Mg..*_ga*MzkwNDI1MTAyLjE3Mzg4ODU3NTI.*_ga_J0SCEJCMH8*MTczODk1NjgyMy4yLjEuMTczODk1Nzg2MC42MC4wLjM2NzY1MzczNw..

DATE: WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7, 2026

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: AMNH

                       200 Cental Park West at 79th Street 

                        See note below for meeting instructions

TRANSPORTATION: B OR C TRAIN TO 81ST STREET/AMNH

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 entrance fee of Adults $30, Seniors $24. However there is a pay what you wish policy for NY State residents and the museum accepts many organization membership such as AAM.
• Special Instructions for entrance to the museum: Muriel Applebaum will host this session. She has made arrangements for 20 free tickets to the museum that include entrance to most of the special exhibits,  Meet Muriel at the main entrance up the stairs at 10:30 AM  to claim a ticket, which will be given on a first come first served basis.  
• Water, food and bathrooms are available. 
• Be prepared to work in dry materials
• Bring a stool

1/9/2026 NJ Sketchers at Morris Museum

 

Join the NJ Urban Sketchers for our first event of 2026! 

On January 9th, we are going to the Morris Museum, an inspiring sketch meetup surrounded by art, history, and design.

Current exhibitions include:

Contemporary Volumes which explores how artists use the form, function, and symbolism of books to challenge conventions, reshape narratives, and expand the possibilities of both art and language.

Ongoing exhibitions include:

The Murtogh D. Guinness Collection of historic mechanical musical instruments and automata.

·      Morris Museum (website very slow to load)

 

DATE: Friday, January 9th

STARTING TIME: 11:00 am – PLEASE BE ON TIME AS WE ARE ENTERING AS A GROUP AND PAYING AS ONE

FEE: Group fee is $8 per person; please bring cash or contact Barbara to Venmo.

LOCATION: 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ 07960

TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING: the museum parking is free; it is too far to walk from the train station

NOTES

• Please RSVP to Barbara Taylor at bat155155@gmail.com  RSVPs required as we are entering as a group
• Looking for us? Call or text Barbara at ‪(862) 207-4279
• Bring a stool; there are some benches available but a stool will give you more options
• Dry materials only; no watercolor allowed in the museum
• Bring your lunch  
• We will conclude with lunch and a throw down around 1pm in the lobby area of the museum

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

MONDAY, January 5, 2025: WESTCHESTER Sketchers Holiday Party and Sketch at the Unitarian Church, White Plains

 Let's KEEP THE HOLIDAY PARTY GOING!

We'll be sketching at the Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation Sanctuary

The holidays may be over but not for us! We will have a sketch event and mini holiday celebration at this beautiful setting. Surrounded by lovely greenery and big windows, delight in staying cozy and capturing nature in your sketchpad. In addition, we will play at being models for each other (optional, you can model if you like).

So bring colorful accessories (hats, scarves, shawls, fans, etc.), a treat or snack and beverage to share with everyone and your artist self!

At 1:00 pm we will all show and talk about our work (optional) and partake of light party snacks.

DETAILS:

DATE: MONDAY, January 5, 2026

START TIME: 10:00 AM, or whenever you can get there.   

LOCATION: Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation (CUUC)

468 Rosedale Ave, White Plains, NY 10605.  The building is conveniently located 2 blocks west of the Hutchinson River Parkway, exit 14.

PARKING:  We ask that you park on the lower level but you can first drive up the hill to drop off your bags and supplies and Marianne will be there to receive them.  We have a couple of parking spots on the upper tier for those who are disabled.  Let us know if you need this.

DIRECTIONS: https://cuucwp.org/worship/plan-a-visit/

By TRAIN  Transportation from Grand Central Terminal, NYC: Take the Metro-North New Haven Line to the Harrison Station.  Please call Marianne to arrange for pick up and ride to the site.

LUNCH: 12:30 PM  The nearest food vendor is about a mile away so please bring your own lunch. There is a refrigerator should you need it.  The closest food vendor is the Rosedale Deli, located half a mile from the church on the corner of Rosedale and Mamaroneck Avenues.

SHOW and TELL: After lunch.  This is the social part of our day where we share our drawings, tips, and stories. It is a time not to be missed. 

NOTES:

• It is enormously costly to heat the huge sanctuary area, even for just a few hours.  We request a small donation ($5.00) from all the sketchers to help defray this expense.  We thank you very much in advance for your donation.
• Watercolor brushes may be used. 
•  Please, no food or drink in the main sanctuary area.  You may eat or drink in the top part of the sanctuary where there are no rugs.
• No need to bring stools, there are plenty of chairs.

Please RSVP to Cathy (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. 

Saturday 1/3/26: Weekend Sketchers at The Asia Society Museum

 

Through exhibitions, talks, films, family programs, performances, and more, Asia Society celebrates Asian art and culture. The Museum features exhibitions of pre-modern, modern, and contemporary art of Asia and Asian diasporas.

Current Exhibitions include: Imperial Treasures: Chinese Ceramics of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties, and, (Re)Generations, which

reintroduces key works in Asia Society Collection through the lenses of three leading contemporary artists. These exhibitions, along with some of the museum's permanent holdings, should give us plenty of material to fill our sketchbooks. 

*Please note that the start time is later than usual. The Museum opens at 11am. There is a $15 admission fee for adults, $10 for seniors.

HOST: Gabriel Forman (415) 810-1056

DATE: Saturday 1/3/26

TIME: Sketching 11am - 3pm | Show and Tell beginning at 3pm. 

SKETCHING LOCATION: Asia Society Museum- 725 Park Avenue (@70th St), NY, NY 10021.

VENUE RULES:$15 Admission fee, $10 for seniors. The museum accepts AAM membership as well as other affiliate memberships. Sketching in pencil is permitted in all galleries. The use of ballpoint pens, ink, markers, fountain pens, or watercolors is not permitted at any time. Crayon, pastel, and charcoal are permitted only on Museum-supervised tours.

MEETING LOCATION:  Join your fellow sketchers throughout the museum and just start sketching. There will be no official meeting to kick off the day. If you are new, look for people with sketchbooks and say hello.

SHOW AND TELL LOCATION: In the museum. Check with the host day-of to confirm the exact show-and-tell location.

FOOD, DRINK, RESTROOMS, SEATING: There are restrooms and a cafe in the building. There are also plenty of options in the surrounding area. Bring a stool.

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.

Saturday 12/27: Weekend Sketchers at The New York Public Library

 

There’s lots to sketch at the NY Public Library: A Beaux-Arts building, The Astor Hall Lobby, The Rose Reading Room, a 22-foot tall Christmas Tree… as well as lions, and tigers, and bears… (That’s right, did you know that the ACTUAL Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger live at the NYPL? Not to mention Patience and Fortitude out front.)

The McGraw Rotunda on the third floor currently houses two special displays: Best Friends Forever: Holiday Greeting Cards from NYPL’s Picture Collection and A Dickens Christmas. 

…and if you are brave enough, there is always the Holiday Market in Bryant Park, right behind the library building. 

*Please note that the sketching location is different from the show-and-tell location.

Host: Leslie Sim (516) 633-2340

Date: Saturday 12/27/25

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

Sketching Location: New York Public Library- Main Branch, aka: The Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, 476 5th Avenue (@ 42nd), NY, NY

Rules: Visitors are not permitted to bring any beverages, liquids, water bottles, or food into the Library. Carts, large bags, bags on wheels, backpacks, or collections of bags that are larger than 24” x 16” x 10” are not permitted to enter the Library and will not be admitted to the bag check.

Meeting Location:  Join your fellow sketchers throughout the library and just start sketching. There will be no official meeting to kick off the day. If you are new, look for people with sketchbooks and say hello.

Show and Tell location: Whole Foods Seating Area- 1095 6th Avenue: Behind the library, across the street from Bryant Park on 6th Ave. The library is often too crowded for us all to meet there. Check with the host day-of to confirm the exact show-and-tell location.

Seating:  There are some tables and benches depending on where you sketch. Stools have been used in the past, but try at your own risk. 

Food, drink, restrooms: There are restrooms. Food and drink are not allowed in the library, but there are plenty of options in the surrounding area.

About NYC Urban Sketchers 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.

Canceled Sketch the African Art Museum 

STARTING TIME: 1:00pm

LOCATION: 23 Bliss Ave, Tenafly, NJ 076708

RSVP to: Julia Bazaz 

jazaz7658@gmail.com

(551) 206-1273

Dry materials only. Bring a stool for more options. No food allowed.

Donations gratefully accepted.

instagram: @njurbansketchers

All welcome, no fees to attend

Saturday 12/20: Weekend Sketchers at Brookfield Place

 

With a large Winter Garden Atrium, an Art Walk, curated shops and restaurants, and views of the ice skating rink, boats, and the Jersey City skyline, Brookfield Place has plenty to sketch in a warm and comfortable setting.

Host: Charles Cannizzaro (914) 552-3658

Date: Saturday 12/20/25

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

Location: Brookfield Place Winter Garden, 230 Vesey St, NY, NY

Meeting spot:  Join your fellow sketchers in the Winter Garden Atrium. No official meeting to kick off the day.

Show and Tell location: The Winter Garden Atrium- on the west side of the space at the tables in the large windows. 

Seating:  There are plenty of tables and seating.

Food, drink, restrooms: There are restrooms and lots of food options.

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.