Monday, December 31, 2018

Weekday Sketchers on the Q Train Thursday


Riding the new Q Line is a ride through a linear art gallery filled with amazing mosaics.   NYC MTA has commissioned some of the best contemporary artists (Chuck Close, Vik Muniz, Sarah Sze, Jean Shin) to create installations throughout the stations.  

Join us on Thursday as we take a ride through this subterranean museum.   We will meet on the Mezzanine level of the 96th St Station.  The mezzanine levels are large, warm and wide making it  comfortable for sketching. We will spend about one hour at each of the four stations from 96th St to 63rd St.  

For more information about the installation and the artists, click here: https://hyperallergic.com/348918/a-underground-tour-through-the-art-of-second-avenue-subway/



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63rd St, Jean Shin artist














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86th St, Chuck Close, artist














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96th St, Sarah Sze 














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72nd St, Vik Muniz


















DATE: THURSDAY JANUARY 3, 2019

STARTING TIME: 10:00 AM

STARTING LOCATION: Mezzanine level of the 96th St Station. 

TRANSPORTATION: Q train to 96th St.

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387.   

NOTE: There are clean toilet facilities at each station but no food service other than some drinks and snacks at the newsstands. Please bring a stool and lunch.  

















Thursday, December 27, 2018

It's Party Time!


NYC Urban Sketchers 
Holiday Party

Sunday January 6th is the date. 
From 1 - 7:00 PM 
We're having the party at the same place as last year.

I can't think of anyone I'd rather be than my fellow sketchers to ​commemorate 2018 and​ to​ kick​-​off the new year.  We had such a blast last year, for our first party, that it seemed obvious to get together again.

For anyone who wasn't there last year you will be stunned by the views​ from our penthouse party spot.  You'll have the chance to sketch sweeping views of New York Harbor as well as the ever changing silhouette of the Wall Street area.

Food will be catered by a local Italian restaurant providing vegetarian and meat main dishes, pasta, salad, dessert, and soft drinks.  DESSERTS are needed. Please bring a dessert to share. You are welcome to bring alcoholic beverages to share.

What would a party be without gifts?  We're going to have two different gift exchanges. 

1)  Original Artwork:  If you'd like to participate ​bring a sketch that you feel proud about.  It needs to be matted and gift wrapped so no one can see the artwork.  By bringing artwork to give ​- ​you get to pick a wrapped package that will ​contain original artwork done by a fellow Urban Sketcher.

2)  The Gift Exchange:  Do you have unused art supplies you'd love to trade?  So does everyone.  You bring yours and we'll bring ours.  Gift wrap your offering and you get to pick a wrapped gift that will contain someone else supplies.​  ​

The exchanges are separate events, 
​... ​bring artwork and you get to pick artwork,
​... ​bring art supplies and you get to pick art supplies.  
Participation is optional

🎈 Click here to reserve your spot:  


Tickets to cover our expenses are $25.  Your purchase will be refundable up to 7 days before the event. If inclement weather tries to ruin our party, an alternate date will be set. 

We'll be sending details and direction to everyone who signs up.

NOTE:
We need volunteers for the setup, decorations, food stuff, and general helping out.  Respond directly to me if you're willing to help.



Mark Leibowitz



Tuesday, December 25, 2018

SATURDAY: Sketch the GARDEN

For Saturday, December 29, 2018

A green oasis awaits us in Brooklyn.  There are acres and acres of beautifully sculpted gardens with an infinite variety of scenes to explore.  There is also an incredible conservatory that features a variety of plants in sculpted settings that mimic natural surroundings.  The conservatory includes a desert room, a tropical room and everything in between.  We will probably be indoors sketching the whole day, but if the weather permits there are gorgeous sights to sketch outside in the garden.



DETAILS:

WHAT:  We will be sketching indoors in the Conservatory at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

WHEN:   The gardens opens at 10:00 AM.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we'll be there, but you'll miss the astounding feeling of being nearly alone in one of the city's best gardens.

WHERE:  The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens has entrances located at 455 Flatbush Avenue and
990 Washington Avenue.  There are several subways nearby:

-  2/3 train to Eastern Parkway—Brooklyn Museum station (weekends: 4/5 replaces 2/3)
-  B/Q/S trains to Prospect Park station (weekends: B train does not run)
4/5 trains to Franklin Avenue station (weekends: use Eastern Parkway—Brooklyn Museum station)

HOW: 
Admission:
-   Adults $15
-   Seniors (65 and over) and Students  $8

Parking:  Attended parking (for a fee) is available at 900 Washington Avenue.  Maximum to closing = $19

LUNCH:  12:00 - Noon - The gardens has a nice cafe. The Coffee Bar is located in the Visitor Center adjacent to the Atrium.  They serve fresh pastries, soup, sandwiches, snacks, and beverages.  Feel free to bring your own food and beverage.

AFTERNOON:  1:00 PM  Back to sketching.

SHOW and TELL:  3 PM   We will start walking to Tooker Alley - located one and half blocks away at 793 Washington Ave, Phone (347) 955-4743.  We will share drawings, good stories and a snack, beer or wine if you're so inclined.

Can't find us?  
Call Mark - 973-809-9128

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



Wednesday, December 19, 2018

No Weekend Sketch



No sketching event this weekend

We'll each have to find our own private excuse 
to grab a pen and a sketchpad 
and record the holiday season.

Let's compare notes the following week. 


Enjoy


Sunday, December 16, 2018

Weekday Sketchers Schedule January/February


In an effort to help you plan your calendar for the coming months, here is the Weekday Sketchers schedule of events for January and February 2019.


Thursday, January 3,                            Subway Art Part I: New Q train stations

Wednesday January 9                           Criminal Courts

Thursday January 16                            Transit Museum   

Thursday January 24                            Subway Art Part II: Underground Art Exhibits

Tuesday January 29                              Art Deco at Rockefeller Center

Thursday February 7                             Eldridge Street Synagogue

Wednesday February 13                       The Cloisters

Wednesday February 20                       The Lighthouse Museum

Tuesday, February 26                           Juilliard Performance at Holy Trinity Church



Weekday Sketchers at Chaim Gross Foundation


NYC was the epicenter of the Modern Art Movement in America. How fortunate we are to have a living resource of the era remaining in the heart of Greenwich Village: The Chaim Gross Foundation. 

Chaim Gross was a mid-century modern sculpture and watercolorist.  His home and studio house his workshop with many of his works on display, his private apartment with his global art collection and an exhibit space.  We will be able to visit and work throughout the building.  While there take note of the collection of African artifacts and his personal collection from other artist of the period including Willem De Kooning, Milton Avery, Jacob Lawrence and Marsden Harley to name a few, that hang in his apartment and line the stairwell.


For more information about Chaim Gross and the Foundation, visit the web site: http://www.rcgrossfoundation.org





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Studio and Workshop














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Stairwell Display
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Private Apartment




DATE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2018

START TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  CHAIM GROSS FOUNDATION
                       526 LAGUARDIA PLACE

                        Note: there will be a $5 donation required

TRANSPORTATION: 6 Train to Bleecker St, A, B, C, D, E train to West 4th Street. 

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/Text Raylie at 201-978-6487.  Bring a stool.  Bring lunch or purchase it. We will break for lunch at a nearby location.  




Thursday, December 13, 2018

SUNDAY: Sketch the RUBIN


SUNDAY:  December 16, 2018


The Rubin Museum of Art is a museum dedicated to the collection, display, and preservation of the art and cultures of the Himalayas, India and neighboring regions, with a permanent collection focused particularly on Tibetan art.

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 the resonates for Urban Sketchers.



DETAILS:


WHAT:  We will be sketching indoors at the Rubin Museum

WHEN:   The museum opens its doors at  11:00 AM.  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.  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

How: 
Admission:
-   Adults $19
-   Seniors (65 and over), Visitors with Disabilities and Students (with valid identification)  $14

LUNCH:  12:30 PM - The museum has a really good cafe
AFTERNOON:  1:30 PM  Back to sketching.

SHOW and TELL:  3 PM   Location to be determined.  We will share drawings, good stories and a snack, beer or wine if you're so inclined.



Can't find us?  
Call Mark - 973-809-9128

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



Sunday, December 9, 2018

Weekday Sketchers at American Folk Art Museum Tuesday


Please Note:  The Ford Foundation Atrium is still not open to the public but when it is open it will be on our schedule. 


The American Folk Art Museum across from Lincoln Center is featuring an exhibit a series of large scale architectural models of the Gold Coast castles and forts that served as way stations for more than six million Africans sold into slavery and sent to the Americas and Caribbean in from the 16th -19th century.  Titled "Gates of No Return" these pieces were commissioned and created by Paa Joe, African artist, mostly known for his inventive figurative coffins. 

Also on view are the paintings and carved figures of John Dunkley, noted Jamaican artist. 

Following our drawing session at the museum we will gather in the nearby David Rubinstein Atrium  for lunch and sketching. Bring lunch or purchase something at the restaurant in the atrium. 


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American Folk Art Museum: Gates of No Return














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David Rubinstein Atrium 


















DATE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2018

STARTING TIME: 11:30 AM (Museum opens at 11:30) 

Want to start earlier? Meet in Alice Tully Hall directly across the street to sketch the Atrium.

LOCATION: AMERICAN FOLK ART MUSEUM
                      2 LINCOLN SQUARE ( Columbus Ave btw 65th /66th Sts.)

TRANSPORTATION: 1 Train to 66th St Lincoln Center. 


Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net. Looking for us? Call/Text Raylie at 201-978-6387.


Wednesday, December 5, 2018

SATURDAY: Sketch the Frick




I'm always amazed to think that this museum was once a family's private home, complete with its world-class art collection.  Everywhere you look you're seeing a view filled with objects that were carefully selected and displayed.  The Frick Collection is one of NYC's best cold weather sketch spots.  Join us there for a day of sketching this coming Saturday.



DETAILS:

WHAT:  We will be sketching indoors at the Frick Collection

WHEN:   The museum opens it's doors at  10:00 AM.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we'll be there, but you'll miss the astounding feeling of being nearly alone in a great museum.

WHERE:  The Frick is located at 1 East 70th Street and Fifth Avenue.  The two closest subways are:

6 train to 68th Street,
Q train to 72nd Street

How: 
Admission:
-   Adults $22
-   Seniors (65 and over)  $17
-   Visitors with Disabilities $17
-   Students (with valid identification)  $12

LUNCH:  12:00 - Noon - The museum does not serve food and has no place to eat.  We'll make our individual food choices by going into Central Park to find vendors or walking to Madison Avenue of find stores.

AFTERNOON:  1:00 PM  Back to sketching.

SHOW and TELL:  3 PM   Location to be determined.  We will share drawings, good stories and a snack, beer or wine if you're so inclined.


NOTES:
-  Bring a stool if you have one, it gives you more options

Sketching in the Galleries
All visitors are permitted to sketch in the galleries on paper not to exceed 12 x 18 inches and with charcoal or lead pencils only. If individuals need to sharpen their pencils, they must use their own boxes to collect the shavings.

The use of pens, colored pencils, oil paints, easels, or watercolors is not allowed. Be careful to not interfere with the flow of visitors through the galleries.


Can't find us?  
Call Mark - 973-809-9128

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




Sunday, December 2, 2018




))))


WEEKDAY SKETCHERS AT QUEENS MUSEUM


Join us this week as we travel to Queens and the Queens Museum on the site of the World's Fair.  Captures the indoor space in the atrium, the renowned Tiffany Glass Collection and the panorama model of every building in New York City.....this alone is worth the trip!  Or, look through the expansive glass walls for a view of the Unisphere, the iconic symbol of the 1963-64 Worlds Fair.



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Lobby of Queens Museum







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Unisphere from the Queens Museum




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Panorama Model of NYC
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Tiffany Collection



DATE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2018

STARTING TIME: 11:00 AM

LOCATION: QUEENS MUSEUM
                        FLUSHING MEADOWS PARK, QUEEN
NOTE: There is an suggested entrance fee for this event: $4 for Seniors, $8 for "Juniors". 

DIRECTIONS: 7 train to Mets-Willis Point station.   There is a 15 minute walk from the station. You can use a ride share program for about $4-$6.  If you want to come by car there is plenty of free parking.  Please check the museum's web site for specific walking and driving directions: https://queensmuseum.org/directions

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Walking Directions from #7 Train

Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at raylie@verizon.net.  Looking for us? Call/text Raylie at 201-978-6387.   Bring a stool and lunch.  There is also a cafe with a limited menu on premises.