FRIDAY, December 20, 2024: NJ and Westchester Sketchers at the Orangetown Historical Museum and Archives

NJ Sketchers  and Westchester Sketchers joint event 

hosted by Margaret Casagrande and Cathy Gutterman

The DePew House was built by Isaac DePew around the time of the American Revolution and was maintained by the original family until 1881. After this time it was owned by the Blauvelt and Morrell families and by 1929 the homestead and farm was purchased by the State of New York as part of the Rockland Psychiatric Hospital's 638 acre facility. It was acquired by the Town of Orangetown and in 2004 the Orangetown Historical Museum & Archives began renovation and officially opened to the public in 2007. It is a typical Dutch sandstone house with a gambrel roof; the clapboard addition in the 1930's serves the museum with extra exhibition space. This sandstone and frame homestead now hosts the museum’s changing exhibits, archives, and offices.

Over the past 30 years, the Museum has acquired over 30,000 artifacts and archives from as early as the 17th century. The collection consists of items showcasing Orangetown’s heritage including Dutch colonists settling on land originally inhabited by the Lenni Lenape, its captivating connection to George Washington and the Revolutionary War, the industrial awakening of the Erie Railroad, and the legendary home of Camp Shanks - the largest port of embarkation for soldiers heading overseas for World War II. Additionally, the collection accounts for the local history of all its hamlets and villages. 

DETAILS:

DATE: FRIDAY, December 20, 2024.

Time: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: Orangetown Historical Museum and Archives, 196 Chief Bill Harris Way, Orangeburg, NY 10962. Phone: 845-398-1302

DIRECTIONS: https://www.mapquest.com/us/new-york/peter-depew-house-433871654

NOTE: Chief Bill Harris Way is a renamed section of Blaisdell Road.

LUNCH: 1 PM followed by SHOW and TELL. 

NOTES: 

• Please bring your lunch and beverage.
• Bring a stool.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

Looking for us? 

Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766 or Margaret at (646) 515-9913

December 18, 2024. Museum of the City of New York.

 

Weekday Sketchers Celebrate the Season

Tis the Season! Let's Get Started!

The holiday season is magical in New York City.  So much to do and see it's hard to know where to begin.  

Join us this week to visit the Museum of the City of New York to sketch the many exhibits on display. 

• Gingerbread NYC: The Great Borough Bake-Off presents gingerbread displays by New York amateur and professional bakers on the theme of “Iconic New York." Through January 12
• Art Deco City: New York Postcards from the Leonard A. Lauder Collection explores how New York City was transformed into a cultural capital during the interwar years. Through February 17
• Byzantine Bembé: New York by Manny Vega showcases the visual storytelling of El Barrio’s own artist and mosaicist Manny Vega. Through January 6
• The Stettheimer Dollhouse in a New Light heralds the return of a beloved object to MCNY’s galleries following an extensive conservation project. Opens November 22
• Above Ground: Art from the Martin Wong Graffiti Collection illuminates the evolution of graffiti art from the streets to the galleries. Opens November 22

But Wait!  The season's not over.....first week in January we will be returning to Bay Ridge to sketch the holiday lights.  Watch for the announcement. 

Watch for announcements for all of these activities on the Blog and Facebook. Also check the new calendar on the blog site for all the sketch information each month.  

DATE:     WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 18, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION: MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF New York

                        1220 FIFTH AVE AT 103RD STREET

TRANSPORTATION: 6 TRAIN TO 103 St. Walk 3 blocks west to Fifth Ave,  2 ir 3 train to 110th Street.  Walk one block east to 5th Ave then south to the museum

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Meryl Greenblatt. merylrgreenblatt@gmail.com 
• Looking for us?  Call or text Meryl at tel:(646)-248-9362
• There is an entrance fee of $23 for adults and $18 for Seniors HOWEVER, the AAM card is accepted You can also use many other NYC specific discount cards ( Library discounts, city passes, etc) 
• You can use a stool
• Be prepared to work in dry materials
• Water, bathrooms and limited food service is available on site 

SATURDAY 12/14: St John the Divine

 

On Saturday let's sketch what might be NYC's most impressive church.  

In a city of skyscrapers, the Cathedral impresses with sheer size. Its detailed facade towers over Amsterdam Avenue, and the building extends a full avenue block to Morningside Drive.

The Cathedral is more than 120 years old, and remains unfinished. Despite incomplete construction, it is the largest cathedral in the world, making it a global landmark. Incredible ​t​o consider, the Statue of Liberty could fit under the church's dome.

​
DETAILS

When:  SATURDAY, December 14, 2024

Where: 1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, one block east of Broadway.  (see map below)

How:  
By Subway -

Take the 1, B, or C Train to the 110th Street / Cathedral Parkway station. (see map below)

By Car -

From the North and East sides: FDR Drive to 96th Street; west on 97th Street; north on Amsterdam Avenue to 112th Street

Admission:
• Admission is $15 for adults,
• $12 for seniors and
• $10 for students visiting the Cathedral for sightseeing purposes.

• Your generous donations are greatly appreciated.

                 
Lunch: 12:00 Noon - There are many food choices on Broadway, one block away.  We will probably not be eating together​ as a big group.

Afternoon:  1 PM (approx.) - Back sketching.

Show and Tell:  3 PM  There are many quiet spots in the church where we can share our artwork.  We will determine the best spot while we’re there.


NOTE:
-      Bring a stool if you have one, it always gives you more options.

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

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

FRIDAY, December 13, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at the Katonah Museum of Art

  

The Katonah Museum of Art is a non-collecting institution geared towards visual arts, located in Katonah, New York.  The Museum presents changing exhibitions that cross a spectrum of artistic disciplines, cultures, and historical periods.  Housed in an elegant building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Katonah Museum of Art originates three to four major exhibitions annually.

Currently on Exhibit:

Jonathan Becker: Lost Time

July 14, 2024 - January 26, 2025

This exhibition is guest curated by Mark Holborn in conjunction with the artist's monograph, forthcoming by Phaidon. Spanning Becker’s illustrious career from his formative period in Paris as a protégé of Brassaï through today, his work features some of the most fascinating and important subjects across contemporary culture. Whether celebrated within the pages of Vanity Fair and Vogue or gracing museum walls, Jonathan Becker remains one of the leading visual storytellers of our time.

 

DETAILS:

DATE: FRIDAY, December 13, 2024.

Time: Our official event will be 1:00 - 3:00 pm, but please arrive before 1:00 PM to start with a tour of the current exhibit.  We will be participating in the SENIOR SOCIAL AFTERNOON of art, refreshments, and socializing. Our own Lucia Yee will be giving a demo of her process for drawing a face. Advanced registration recommended. 

Register here: https://www.simpletix.com/e/senior-social-afternoon-tickets-189142

LOCATION: Katonah Museum of Art 134 Jay Street - Route 22, Katonah, NY 10536

Phone: (914) 232-9555 

DIRECTIONS: https://www.katonahmuseum.org/visit/getting-here.php
From NYC: From Grand Central Terminal, take the Metro-North Harlem Line to Katonah Station. The trip one-way from Grand Central is about 1 hour 15 minutes. The Museum is located 0.7 miles east of the Katonah train station. From the train station, it is a 10-20-minute walk. Taxi service is also available. For daily train schedules, visit MTA. 

LUNCH: Due to our later start, we will not stop for lunch.  

SHOW and TELL: 3 PM

NOTES: 

• Admission: Seniors $9, others $12.
• Reciprocal Admission: Fairfield Westchester Museum Alliance (FWMA), North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM), American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Members.  Also check check your local Library Pass Program.
• Food, drink, chewing gum and tobacco products are not allowed in the galleries.
• PENCIL ONLY in the galleries, and we have to be sitting down when we draw, not walking or standing with pencils out. We can use watercolor and non messy materials in the Learning Center and outside. 
• The museum has stools and we should use them.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

It would help if you also register for the Senior Social Afternoon here:

https://www.simpletix.com/e/senior-social-afternoon-tickets-189142

Looking for us? 

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

December 11, 2024 NY Historical

 Weekday Sketchers at NY Historical

Join us this week as we return to the New York Historical (formally the NY Historical Society) just in time to capture the yearly display of antique toy trains and toys, along with many other exhibits now on display. 

Branded as New York's first Museum or sometimes New York City's Attic, the Historical has a treasure trove of artifacts that make fabulous sketch book material.  Housed in a beautiful building across from the American Museum of Natural History, we can spend hours, or more likely days, sketching the beautiful Tiffany lamps, the exhibit on What Women Wore or the exhibit on Pets in the City. Of course there is always the wonderful open storage area with amazing artifacts from years gone by. And the replica of the Oval Office in the Meet the President exhibit. 

For more information about the museum, click here: https://www.nyhistory.org/exhibitions/holiday-express-toys-and-trains-jerni-collection-3

DATE:  WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11, 2024

STARTING TIME:  11:00 AM 

LOCATION: NEW YORK HISTORICAL

                        170 Central Park West at 77th Street

TRANSPORTATION:  B OR C train to 81st/ Museum of Natural History.

                                    

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 $24 for adults and $19 for Seniors. The museum accepts the AAM members for two admissions (please share your extra ticket) and the NY Cultural Pass,  NY, Brooklyn and Queens  Public Library card and many other discount programs
• Water and bathrooms are available
• The cafe is temporarily closed
• Be prepared to work in dry materials

SATURDAY 12/7/24 : Sketch the Art and Design Draw-a-Thon 20

 

This coming Saturday, December 7th, the High School of Art and Design is running their Draw-A-Thon fundraiser, a perfect event for sketchers.   

The HS is an important NYC institution that has trained New York based artistic children, including many of our members and their children.  They are also our hosts for our annual Portrait Party (coming up soon - Feb 1st!)   

The nine-hour drawing and painting event will provide an opportunity for art students and professional artists to work side by side from a group of live models. Poses will vary from short sessions of five minutes, twenty minutes and one hour poses. Extended poses of three and six hours will also be available. There will be a dedicated room for costume (heroic/cosplay) figure drawing and a separate room for nude/traditional figure drawing.


Admission is $25 if purchased online in advance:
https://www.eventbee.com/v/artdesigndrawathon20#/tickets

It's $5 more expensive at the door.

The High School is located at 245 East 56th Street (between 2nd and 3rd Avenues)
The event starts at 10 AM and continues until 7 PM. 

The HS provides chairs and they sell food at the event.  In addition to Urban Sketchers the event attracts artists from all over the NY area.  At every event I see at least one or two art friends who I haven’t seen in years.  

It’s a good event!  Hope to see you there.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at Cast Hall, NYC

 Westchester Sketchers at Cast Hall

Join us as we return to a favorite sketching site, the Institute for Classical  Architecture and Art's Cast Hall.

Cast Hall

Long ago, before the Met Museum was the major institution that it is now and could afford the real statures that we now see in the Greek and Roman Galleries, they displayed plaster casts of the original statures. Once the real statures replaced the plaster casts, the casts went into storage and were largely forgotten. Then the Met donated them to the ICAA, who restored them and put them on display in ... Cast Hall.

Bring your watercolors, bring your lunch but don't bring a stool as there are tables and chairs for us to use.   For more information about the ICAA, its services and trips, click here: https://www.classicist.org.

But wait!  That's not all!

The building that houses the ICAA, The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, is an artifact by itself, with a Lock Museum, a multi-level library with a stained glass ceiling, beautiful hallways, railings and an incredible sculpture of an arm (you have to see it for yourself). When you get tired of drawing the statures walk into the hallway and sketch this building that is a true hidden gem of NYC. 

DATE:  WEDNESDAY December 4, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  THE INSTITUTE FOR CLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE AND ART 

                       THE MECHANICS AND TRADESMAN BUILDING

                        20 West 44th Street, NYC

TRANSPORTATION: B, D, F, M to 42nd Street/Bryant Park Station or 7 to 5th Ave Station. 

                        

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Cathy Gutterman at westchestert@nycurbansketchers.org.  
• Water and bathrooms are available.
• Bring your lunch or purchase it from the local food outlets.
• You can work in wet media.

All skill levels welcome!

Looking for us? Call or text Cathy at 914-625-0766

DECEMBER 4, 2024 Weekday Sketchersat Seltzer Factory

WEEKDAY SKETCHERS AT 

SELTZER MUSEUM

New York City has some much of everything!  Wonderful restaurants, great theater and fabulous museums.  There are the world famous megalith museums like the Met and the AMNH and all sorts of smaller ones: the Math Museum, the Dog Museum and the Seltzer Museum.  

What the SELTZER Museum? 

There's a museum about seltzer?? 

Yes! And we are going there to sketch it!

Tucked away in a corner of Brooklyn near the Queens boarder is a factory that makes seltzer.  The old fashioned kind in the heavy glass siphon bottles that get delivered to you home by the ,,,,Seltzerman!  For those old enough to remember,  the Seltzerman was a fixture in most NYC neighborhoods. He was the guy who carried those wooden boxes with a dozen siphon bottles into you house every week. And....

Well That's what the Seltzer museum is about. Come along and learn more about how setlzer is made, the history of the family that has been running this business for about 100 years and much more. Come and sketch the ancient, incredibly interesting machinery and the jewel like bottles piled high in their cases. Come and taste an "egg cream" (that has no eggs or cream)....another NYC institution!

for more information about the seltzer factory click: https://brooklynseltzermuseum.org/about-us/

DATE: WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  474 Hemlock St, Brooklyn, NY 11208

TRANSPORTATION:  A TRAIN TO GRANT AVE

                                        The subway is about a 5 minute walk from the museum. See map below.

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@NYCurbansketchers.org. We will need a headcount for this event so please RSVP! We may have to close registration at 20 people, so first come first served.
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Water and bathrooms are available
• No food service on site but some vendors in the area or bring your own.
• There is usually a fee for visiting the museum, which has been waived for this event.  Donations are welcomed.
• Bring a stool

SATURDAY 11/30: Sketching Easy and Warm

 

​601 Lexington Avenue - Saturday November 30, 2024

​We've turned the corner and are unlikely to be able to sketch outdoors for a while.  It's Thanksgiving and the city is filled with tourists.  Many of the obvious sketch spots will be very crowded.  I tried to picture a spot that would be easy to get to.  Interesting architecture would be nice, so would people to draw.   The perfect spot came to mind.

601 Lexington Avenue is the Citigroup Center an office skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It's an interesting building to draw from Queens or Roosevelt Island. It's the one with the slanted roof.   It also has a lovely public space that is used by the people in the community as a bit of hangout.  

Between the groups of people who are likely to be there and the architecture we should have a great day sketching - without having to battle the crowds.  

DETAILS

What:   We're going to spend the day sketching in the public space at 601 Lexington Avenue - the Citigroup Center

Where:  We'll meet at that Plaza space at 601 Lex (153 E 53rd St.)

When:  Start time - 10 AM on Saturday, November 30, 2024.   Sleeping late?  Come anyway - we'll be there.

How:

-   By Subway:  The E, the M and the #6 train stop at the building - Lexington Av/53 St

Lunch:  We'll break at 12:00 Bring your own or buy locally

Afternoon:  1:00  Back to sketching

Show and Tell:  3:00 PM - On site.  This is the social part of our day when we'll share our artwork, tell art stories and talk about art supplies. (I can almost guarantee all of this will happen.)

NOTE:

-      There are tables and chairs there, but bringing a stool gives you more options

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

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

SATURDAY 11/23: Sketch the Forum

 

The Forum, located on the corner of 125th Street and Broadway, is a unique community gathering space.  The Forum includes  a huge street level space filled with tables and chairs.  Open to the public.  Warm.  Bathrooms.  All glass walls and interesting views, especially of the space under the 1 train, which is elevated at 125th Street.  From the western end, there's an interesting view towards the Hudson under the elevated West Side Highway.  There's lots of places around to get coffee, lunch, etc.  Free wifi, too.  

​In case we have an unexpected heat wave we can also walk over to the Hudson River (about a block) and sketch there, too. 

DETAILS:

WHAT:  We will be sketching indoors at the Forum

WHEN:   We’ll start our day on Saturday, November 23, 2024 at  10:00 AM.  Sleeping late?  Beauty rest?  Bring your well rested beautiful self anyway.  We’ll be there.

WHERE:  The main entrance to The Forum is at the northwest corner of 125th Street & Broadway. 

There are additional entryways at 605 W. 125th Street, 3207 Broadway, and the intersection of 125th and 129th Streets. (see map below)

By Subway:

The closest subway stop is the 1 line at 125th Street & Broadway. 

By Bus:

Bus: The M4, M104 and BX15 buses stop nearby The Forum. 

By Car:

Street parking is somewhat easier on Sunday.  There are also parking lots in the area.  Click for details: 

https://theforum.columbia.edu/content/visiting-forum 

LUNCH:  12:00 Noon  Pick up food in the area or Bringyourowni.  We will dine where we’re sketching.

Show and Tell:   3:00 PM.  We’ll share our drawings, tell art stories and discuss our art supplies.  (I’m just guessing about the second two items, but we’ll definitely do the first.)

NOTE:

-  Bring a stool - it gives you so many more options.  

Can't find us?  

Call or Text Mark - 973-809-9128

There are no fees or attendance taken. 

All drawing skill levels are welcome