Weekend Sketching During the Holidays

 

Happy Holidays

Just realized that we never actually said there is no Weekend Urban Sketching until the New Year.   Both Christmas and New Years fall on the weekends this year.  

Enjoy family, friends, good cheer and lots of art.

You Are Invited to a Party - Opening Reception - “Manhattan Below 14th Street"

 Opening Night Reception

“Manhattan Below 14th Street”

Art Exhibit at New Amsterdam Library, 

9 Murray Street, New York, NY 10007

Tuesday, January 10, 2023, 5PM - 7PM

This is the second exhibit sponsored by NYC Urban Sketchers. Join us for this opening night event. Come view beautiful images created by fellow sketchers and enjoy some light refreshments. While not required, the NYC Health Department is currently recommending masks for indoor events.

A total of 126 images were submitted for this exhibit. A three-person jury evaluated each image for originality, craftsmanship and overall impression. Based on scores provided by the jury, 38 images were selected for display at the library. The exhibit will run from January 9th until February 27th, 2023. During the run of the show, there will be a continuous slide presentation of all 126 images submitted for the exhibit. 

Hope to see you at the New Amsterdam Library on January 10th. 

Weekday Sketchers at Essex Market for Gingerbread Lane

If one Gingerbread House is fun, then 100 should be a blast!

 

Join us this week at the Essex Market to sketch a plethora of Gingerbread Houses.  Candy canes and icicle icing, gumdrops and gummy worms, Christmas trees and penguins on ice skates plus much much more are waiting for us on the Lower East Side.  Come with your red and green paint, your sketchbook and a stool to capture this annual event. 

And, if you fall in love with them, you can take some home when the display comes down in January, with one caveat: Don't eat them.  They have been on display a long time and will be dusty!  Oh, and bring your own box to carry them away.  

No need to bring lunch as the Essex Market is one of the great food halls in NYC. Get some hot soup or cold noodles, buy lunch and bring home fixings for dinner.  This will be an all inclusive day!

DATE:  WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 21, 2022

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  ESSEX MARKET

                        88 Essex Street at Delancey Street

TRANSPORTATION: F, M, J, Z to Delancey
 Street

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Bring a stool for best sight lines
• Water. bathrooms and food are available 
• You can work in wet materials.

SATURDAY: Sketch the Rubin

 

If you attended our first Winter Talk, it will be no surprise that we will be visiting the Rubin Museum this coming Saturday, December 17, 2022.  We’ll be starting a little later than usual since the Rubin doesn’t open until 11 AM.

In case you are not aware, the Rubin Museum celebrates the diversity and uniqueness of Himalayan art, ideas, and culture across history.  It is one of the city’s cultural hubs and caters to a diverse audience from connoisseurs, scholars, the general public and, of course, urban sketchers.  I find the  beautiful exotic art very exciting.  I’ve noticed people’s sketches seem to take interesting unusual directions under the influence of their collection.


DETAILS
What:   We will be sketching at the Rubin Museum 

Where:   150 W 17th St,  -  off Seventh Avenue
 
When:  Meet at 11 AM.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we’ll be there the whole day.

How:
-   By Subway:  

• 14th St and 8th Ave - A, C, E train

• 14th St.  - 1,  2, 3 train

• 18th St - 1, 2 train

(See map below.)

Lunch:  1:00 PM .  Meet in the restaurant at street level.  Bring your own or rely on the numerous vendors and stores in the area   The museum has coffee and tee only.  The museum has asked us to take lunch a little later than our usual time so we don’t conflict with another group.

Afternoon:  1:45 PM  Back to sketching

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - Meet back in the restaurant to share our work, tell stories and talk about the things artists talk about.


NOTE:
 
-     Bring a stool, it gives you more options.  

Click to enlarge

​

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: Westchester Sketchers at The Westchester Mall in White Plains

 

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 holiday decorations, shoppers, statues, and upscale storefronts. 

DETAILS: 

DATE: FRIDAY, December 16, 2022. 

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. Taxicabs are readily available for hire to ride to The Westchester Mall. Please call (800) METRO-INFO or visit https://new.mta.info/schedules/metro-north-railroad for schedule and fare information. 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 within 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 Rubin Museum on THURSDAY 

Join us for a special event at the Rubin Museum this week!

Judy Garz, one of our own members, is a docent at the Rubin Museum of art, which specializes in Art of the Himalayas.  Judy will be leading the first Winter Talks Tuesday evening. (find the link to register here: https://nyc.urbansketchers.org/2022/12/our-first-winter-talk.html). As a follow up to the discussion, the Rubin Museum has graciously made arrangements for NYC Urban Sketchers to visit the museum free of charge.  The Weekday Group will be going on Thursday and the Weekend Group will go on Saturday. 

If you have been to the Rubin you know how magical it is to walk into a world completely different from our every day NYC environment: Buddhas greet you, deities of human and animal forms welcome you, Mandalas invite you to sit and mediate.  The intricate and colorful tapestries and wall hangings abound with symbolism. The statues and artifacts invoke the supernatural. It is all strange and wonderful, and now with Judy's guidance, it will be ever more meaningful as we become more knowledgeable about the art of the Himalayas. 

Join us for the Winter Talk, then come with your new understanding of Asian culture and art to absorb the atmosphere and sketch the scene

 

DATE:  THRUSDAY DECEMBER 15, 2022

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

                             159 WEST 17TH STREET Between 6th and 7th Avenues

                               We will meet in the main lobby

TRANSPORTATION:  1 Train to 18th Street  (nearest stop) or any subway into 14th Street and walk over to the museum 

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call or Text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Admission is free for this event, please identify yourself as an Urban Sketcher
• Bathrooms and water are avaiable
• There is no food service on site but coffee and tea are served in the cafe.  
• You can bring lunch in from outside to eat in the cafe.
• Bring a stool 
• Be prepared to work in dry media.

Our First Winter Talk

 

Our first Winter Talk will happen on Tuesday night - December 13th at 7:30.  It's a virtual event and you will need to register in advance. 

There is no cost.

For all the details and to register - click this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/our-first-winter-talk-tickets-484062472887

New Jersey Sketchers at American Dream Mall

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 14, 2022

American Dream Mall

You don't have to go to Minnesota to experience a HUGE mall with everything in it! Even a Ferris wheel.

Once named the ugliest building New Jersey, this renovated rendition is now is the largest tourist attraction in NJ.  The inside is unlike anything you've ever seen.   It is enormous, over the top, outragous and dynamic.  Attractions include: the Van Gogh immersive experience, Legoland, a waterpark, snow park, a mirror maze, skating rink and more. On any day there is plenty to sketch, but now it is dressed for the holidays and even more sketch worthy than usual. 

Nickelodean Playground

Entrance to Water Park 

Join us at American Dream in East Rutherford, NJ for a day of sketching during holiday time. Fill your books with beautiful decorations, people on ice skates and snowboards, kids frolicking in the wave pool or riding on the Ferris wheel.  Get out your bright colors and capture it all. 

For more information about the Mall, check the website: americandream.com

Holiday Decorations

Holiday Garden Area

Pictures with Santa

 

DATE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2022

            NOTE THE CHANGE OF DATE FROM THURSDAY DECEMBER 15TH. 

             

STARTING TIME: 11:00 AM

LOCATION: AMERICAN. DREAN. MALL

                        1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford NJ

                        NOTE: We will meet in the central seating area known a Area C.  

Meeting Spot: Area C seating 

DIRECTIONS: 

                    From New Jersey:  The mall is located just off Rt. 3 Near the Sports Complexes. Check the website for directions or use a Maps program

                     From NYC: Busses Available from Port Authority, Hoboken and Jersey City Check the website for information

NOTES

• RSVP to margaret.casagrande@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call or text Margaret at 646-515-9913
• Seating is available but bringing a stool gives more options
• Water, bathrooms and food are available. (There is a large food hall...but of course!)
• There is an all-day $5 parking fee 
• We will meet at 11:00 when the stores open.  Feel free to stay as long as you wish

SATURDAY: Sketch the Holiday Mood

There is probably no better place in all of NYC to feel the Holiday Mood than Rockefeller Center.  The ice skaters, the tree, all the lights and the holiday store windows at Saks, it’s all there in a two block radius.  Best of all there is a warm, dry indoors, an underground city, that surrounds the area.  It's filled with stores and restaurants.

Our meeting spot is a little tricky to describe but it’ll be easy to find.  As you look across the skating rink at the tree you will notice windows.  These windows have a view of the rink and the skaters, it’s below street level.   To get there go into 30 Rock (30 Rockefeller Center) and go down one flight.   Try to get as close to the tree and you’ll see tables and chairs - that’s where we’ll meet.  See photo below so you know what to expect.

We will be in the Rockefeller Center area for the day sketching the tourists, the stores, the lights and the holiday mood.

 

DETAILS

What:   We will be sketching Rockefeller Center (30 Rockefeller Center, between W. 49-50th Streets / Avenue of the Americas and Fifth Avenue)

Where:   We’re meeting by the window that looks out at the skating rink  This is one flight down from street level.  (see photo)

When:  Meet at 10 AM.  Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we’ll be there the whole day. 

How:

-   By Subway:  

• 5th Ave and 53rd St. - E, M train

• Lexington Ave and 51 St - 4, 6 train

• 47-50 Sts - Rockefeller Cntr - E, D, F, and M trains

• 49 St - N, R, W trainsSee map below.

Lunch:  12:30 PM .  Bring your own or rely on the numerous vendors and stores in the area   Our lunch location will be by the tables near the windows overlooking the skating rink

Afternoon:  1:30 PM  Back to sketching

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - We’ll find a likely spot (possibly where we had lunch) to share our work, tell stories and talk about what artists talk about.

NOTE:

-     Bring a stool, it gives you more options.  

(click to enlarge)

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

There are no fees or attendance taken. 

All drawing skill levels are welcome

WEDNESDAY: Westchester Sketchers at the Unitarian Church in White Plains

 

This week we will gather at Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation (CUUC) for a fun drawing experience. Some of you may remember this site, also known as the Unitarian Church, as we held two workshops there last spring. The building is of a unique mid-20th century design that embraces its natural setting on an 8-acre property that includes wetlands, wooded areas, and steep terrain. The building is conveniently located 2 blocks west of the Hutchinson River Parkway, exit 14.

This event will be two-fold. We can sketch inside the building which includes a beautiful sanctuary, the window views, or outside on the grounds if weather permits. Or, we can pose for each other. Thank you to Susan Chavez for this fun idea. Or we can do both. The choice is entirely optional.

We will also have a DEMO from Kim Tortolani on how to create your own personal Greeting Cards with matching liners for your envelopes.  If you would like to try doing this, please bring card stock, scissors, and a glue stick in addition to regular art supplies.

DETAILS:

DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 7, 2022

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

LOCATION: Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation (CUUC)

468 Rosedale Ave, White Plains, NY 10605

PARKING:  We ask that you park on the lower level but you can first drive up the hill to drop off your supplies and Marianne will be there to receive them.  Be aware that the CUUC is up a hill which makes for a beautiful vista but there are steps to climb.  If you cannot do the steps, please let Marianne know and she will arrange parking on the top tier.

DIRECTIONS: http://www.cucwp.org/directions-map

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: 1:00 PM  Bring your own.  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:

• Restrooms are available.
• Parking is free.
• No need to bring stools as there are plenty of chairs.

Please RSVP to Cathy (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 Museum of Art and Design  for Queer Maximalism

Join us this week as we take a 180 degree turn from last week's experience sketching classical figures to this week's dive into the world of genre defying stagecraft and costumes by Matthew Flower, better known as Machine Dazzle. 

The exhibits, which takes up two floors of the museum   is the first solo show of the artist and showcases his extensive range of design, performance pieces and music created for the queer and drag queen cultural experience. Come along for a wild ride through a colorful extravaganza that we rarely get to see up close. 

Too over the top for you? Then come along and settle into the second exhibit in the museum "Jewelry Stories".  MAD has been an early advocate for jewelry design as an art form.  This exhibit features 45 pieces from mid-century to the present and the stories that inspired the artists to create them. 

DATE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2022

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  MUSEUM OF ART AND DESIGN

                        2 COLUMBUS CIRCLE

TRANSPORTATION: A, B, C, D, 2,3 Subway to Columbus Circle

Museum of Art and Design

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at Rayliedunkel1@gmail.com
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• There is an admission charge of $18 for general admission and $14 for seniors BUT the entrance fee is 50% off on Thursday.  The AAM membership is honored by the museum 
• Bring a stool 
• Try to work in dry materials 
• We will meet in the lobby at 10:30 and work for a few hours in the museum
• We will break for lunch at 1 PM and go to the Whole Foods in the Time Warner Building to eat and have a  throw-down

SATURDAY: Sketch at the Draw-a-Thon

 

This Saturday, December 3, 2022, NYC Urban Sketchers will be among the many NYC artists supporting the High School of Art and Design's annual fundraiser at their famous DRAW-A-THON.   This is an important NYC institution.  Many of our sketchers are graduates and we usually hold our Portrait Party there​.

They offer nine straight hours of sketching from live models.  It's not Urban Sketching but keeping our drawing skills sharp is important.  There are short poses as well as long poses.  You'll find models in costumes as well as nudes.  It's warm, bathrooms are nearby and there are numerous food choices nearby.

The fun starts at 10 AM and sketching continues until 7 PM.  I plan to be there  at 10 but seriously doubt I'll make it to 7 PM.   You can start and stop when you like.  

It is a fundraiser so there is a $25 entrance fee.  You can register at their Eventbrite page by clicking this link:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-and-design-draw-a-thon-fundraiser-16-tickets-448708959577

Weekday and Westchester Sketchers at Cast Hall 

Join us as we return to one of our favorite indoor sketching venues: Cast Hall 

The Institute for Classical Art and Architecture houses a large trove of casts of sculptures that once belonged to The Met, before they could afford to buy the real pieces.  Having fallen into disrepair, the ICAA has restored the pieces and placed them on view in the Mechanics and Tradesmen Building on the top floor in a beautiful sunlit room.  It is our luck that the hall is open by reservation and will welcome us this week. 

Bring your sketchbooks, paints and pencils to this sunny yellow room to draw the many classical statutes, artifacts and architectural elements on display.  We will have work tables and chairs, so no need for stools.  If time allows, move out into the building with its wrought iron railings, stained glass entry way and the large "arm and hammer" hanging in the lobby. Still have time?  Visit the unique Lock Museum housed on the first floor of the building 

For information about the ICAA, click here: https://www.classicist.org

For information about the Society of Mechanics and Tradesment, click here: https://generalsociety.org

DATE: WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 30 2022

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: ICAA CAST HALL

                            20 WEST 44TH STREET 

                             Top Floor

TRANSPORTATION: B, D, F, M to Bryant Park Station or the 7 to the 5th Ave Station 

                                     From Westchester: take trains into Grand Central Terminal 

NOTES

• RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at rayliedunkel1@gmail.com 
• Westchester group RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at cathygutterman@verizon.net
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445 or Cathy at 914-625-0766
• No need to bring a stool, chairs and tables are available
• Bring lunch or purchase it along the way. We can eat and drink in the room
• Wet materials are allowed

 Weekday and New Jersey 

 Schedule for December and January

Rockefeller Center

In an effort to help you plan to attend the Weekday and New Jersey  Urban Sketchers events, here is the schedule for the remainder of the year and into the new one!  Please note that there are some dates on Thursdays as well as Wednesdays. And, please scroll down to see some announcements of special programs.

Looking forward to seining you here,  there and elsewhere!

Queer Maximalism

Wednesday November 30, 2022           Cast Hall (joint meeting with Westchester Group) 

THURSDAY  December 8, 2022         Museum of Art and Design 

                                                              Queer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle

Wednesday December 14, 2022            Essex Market

                                                               Gingerbread Lane

Wednesday December 21, 2022            Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and Decorations

Week of December 26th No meeting

THURSDAY January 5, 2023                Met Museum Christmas Tree & 

                                                                Chroma Ancient Sculptures in Color

Wednesday  January 11, 2023                Brooklyn Museum: Thierry Mugler

Wednesday January 18, 2023                Central Synagogue & St. Barts

Wednesday January 26, 2023                2nd Ave Subway Sketch Crawl

Met Musem Chroma

New Jersey Group 

THURSDAY  December 15, 2022            American Dream Mall, Meadowlands, NJ

THUSRDAY      January 25, 2023           Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, Madison, NJ

Museum of Early Trades and Crafts 

Special Events

Holiday in Ink Drawing Challenge:  Jamie Grossman of the Westchester Group has put together a special holiday challenge.  For information about taking on this challenge, click here:  https://hudsonvalleysketches.blogspot.com/2022/10/get-ready-for-holidays-in-ink-plus.html

SATURDAY DECEMBER 3, 2022,  Draw-A-Thon.   This is the  Annual fundraiser for the High School of Art and Design that is open to the public.  Anyone who likes to draw figures (nude, clothed or in character costumes), this is for you!  From 10 AM to 7 PM there will be models in the cafeteria and gym waiting for you to sketch them.  And if you last until the end....you get pizza!  It is a fun day and a worthy cause.  To register click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/art-and-design-draw-a-thon-fundraiser-16-tickets-448708959577