SATURDAY 11/2/24 : Sketch the Giant Pigeon

 

The Giant Pigeon

Event suggested and led by Danna Feintuch

There is a GIANT pigeon perched on the Highline, cooing to us to come and sketch it.

Visitors are flocking to New York City's famed High Line to see its latest art installation. The 16-foot-tall pigeon sculpture has the city in a flutter. Artist Iván Argote's sculpture titled "Dinosaur" depicts an enormous pigeon looking out over New York's 10th Avenue.

In July, The NYC High Line announced that the massive, hyper-realistic bird would be installed above the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street. The larger-than-life-sized pigeon sits on a concrete plinth that mirrors New York City buildings and sidewalks that the birds call home.

DETAILS:

WHAT:  We will be sketching the Giant Pigeon on the Highline

WHEN:   We’ll be there from  10:00 AM until 3 PM on November 2, 2024

WHERE:  On the Highline at the intersection of 10th Avenue and 30th Street.

LUNCH:  12:00 Noon.  ​Near the statue.​  Bring your own food or rely on nearby vendors, stores and restaurants.

AFTERNOON:  1:00 PM Back to sketching

SHOW and TELL:   3:00 PM.  Location to be determined​.  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 Danna - 646-773-6820

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

 Weekday Sketchers Schedule for 

November and December

Fordham University Plaza

In an effort to help you plan your attendance at the Weekday Sketch Events, here is the schedule for November and December.  Please watch our blog and your emails for details,  And, remember that the schedule is open to change due to any number of factors. 

Wednesday November  6, 2024                        Fordham University Robert Moses Plaza At Lincoln Center

Wednesday November 13, 2024                       NY Historical

Wednesday November 20, 2024                        Cast Hall

Week of November 27, 2024                     Happy Thanksgiving!   No event planned.

Seltzer Museum

Wednesday December 4, 2024                         Seltzer Museum 

Wednesday December 11, 2024                        Brooklyn Museum

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

                                                                                Gingerbread House Bake-off! 

Final Weeks of December                                Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Happy Kwanza 

                                                                                                    Happy New Year

                                                                                                    No events planned 

 

Weekday Sketchers at Green-Wood Cemetery

ITS HALLOWEEN! (Almost) 

Time to go to the Cemetery!

Main Entrance

What has 478 acres of hills, valleys, the highest point in Brooklyn,  incredible trees, 3 lakes, a chapel with Tiffany windows, incredible funerary architecture, a resident flock of green parrots, and very scary Halloween Decorations?  Greenwood Cemetery is the answer!  Join us for some (not so) spooky fun!

The Chapel

Built in the style of Victorian Cemteries, with parkland attributes for strolling and picnicking, this gem of New York is open to the public and ripe for urban sketching.  

For information about Green-Wood, the celebrities buried there, the art and architecture, the arboretum and a map, click here: https://www.green-wood.com

DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  GREEN-WOOD CEMETERY

                                5th Avenue and 25th Street BROOKLYN

TRANSPORTATION: R train to 25th Street.

                                        Exit the subway and walk one block up the hill to the cemetery 

Minerva Saluting Lady Liberty

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@nycurbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• There are water and bathrooms available 
• Bring a stool
• We will meet for lunch at 1:00 PM in front of the Chapel
• There is no food service at the cemetery.  Bring lunch with you. If you want to purchase something there is a deli near the subway station and Baked in Brooklyn a very good bakery, coffee/sandwich shop across from the entrance to the cemetery

MONDAY, October 28, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at the William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation in Mt. Kisco

 

William Louis Dreyfus

The late businessman William Louis-Dreyfus spent his life amassing a gigantic trove of more than 3,000 artworks, starting with a Wassily Kandinsky watercolor in 1965, and the passion for collecting ran through him until he died in 2016, at the age of 84. He had a special interest in Outsider Art.

The William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation's art collection is made up of pieces by self-taught and contemporary artists such as James Castle, Rackstraw Downes, Red Grooms, Bill Traylor, Thornton Dial, and Nellie Mae Rowe. Over 200 artists are featured in the Foundation's collection, all collected by its benefactor.

DETAILS:

DATE: MONDAY, October 28, 2024

LOCATION: William Louis-Dreyfus Foundation, 211 Kisco Avenue, Mt. Kisco, NY.
The entrance to the facility is located via a short path at the far side of the parking lot.
Before our visit, you may like to familiarize yourself with the collection by visiting http://www.wldfoundation.org/.

DIRECTIONS 

By Car: https://www.google.com/maps/dir//211+Kisco+Ave,+Mt+Kisco,+NY+10549/

By Train (From NYC): Take Metro North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal to the Mt. Kisco Station via the Harlem Line. Please let Cathy know if you need a ride from the station.

START TIME: Please arrive by 10:45 AM, so we will be ready to start our tour at 11:00 AM.
If you are running late, please notify the Foundation by calling 914 864-1425.

A staff member will meet us at the main entrance at the designated start time. There will be a short introduction to the collection followed by a tour highlighting some of the key works and artists. We will have time at the end of the tour for independent viewing and sketching.

LUNCH: Food and drinks are not permitted, so we will have lunch at Lefteris Gyro II, 190 Main Street, Mt. Kisco. PLEASE  LET CATHY KNOW IF YOU PLAN TO JOIN US FOR LUNCH.

SHOW and TELL: This is the social part of our day where we share our drawings, tips, and stories.  We will do show and tell either at the Foundation or the restaurant.

NOTES:

• Admission is free.
• Parking, while ample, is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• If possible, secure coats and personal items in your vehicle prior to entering the building.
• Coats, and other personal belongings brought into the building will be stored in the coatroom before the start of the tour.
• Pencils only - no pens or markers.
• Limited seating available. Bring a stool if you have one. 

Please RSVP to Cathy (westchester@nycurbansketchers.org). We will be providing an attendee list to the Foundation.

Looking for us?
Call/text: Cathy at (914) 625-0766.

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

SATURDAY: Sketch the East Midtown Greenway

 

​The new esplanade is literally on the East River 

The smartest thing I’ve done recently is to ask everyone for suggestions for new sketch locations.  

Andrew Borloz found a winner.  

I believe the ultimate goal is for NYC to have a continuous ring of parks so we can all enjoy island life along the river edge.  As each section get’s completed a new sketching adventure is revealed.  Here is what Andrew said about his discovery:

“The new  East Midtown Greenway (AKA East River Esplanade) is fantastic for urban sketching. One gets beautiful views of the Roosevelt Island, Queens, and Brooklyn. Of special interest to me are the hexagonal tiles on the greenway that were inspired by Gaudi's panot tiles in Barcelona, and the city-lines of both Roosevelt Island and Queens across the East River.  Highly recommended. “

DETAILS

What:  We’re sketching the new  East Midtown Greenway

Where: We’ll  meet at the entrance to the Greenway - 54th street at Sutton Place. 

How:  Take the E train to Lexington & 53rd Street, and then walk 3 blocks to the 54th street/Sutton Place.

Lunch:   12:00 - We will dine al fresco.  Location to be determined..  Your best bet is to bring food.  There are no food choices on the path by the water’s edge.

Afternoon:  1:00  Back to sketching

SHOW and TELL:   At 3 PM - location to be determined, probably our lunch spot.

NOTE:  

• Bring a folding chair or stool if you have one - it provides more sketching choices.

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

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

Thursday, October 24, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at Greenwich Audubon Center

 

Come sketch with us on the grounds of the Greenwich Audubon Center.  If it too cold outside or the weather is inclement, we can sketch inside in the Kiernan Hall Gallery.  The Center's 285-acre main sanctuary features the Kimberlin Nature Education Center— the hub for nature programs, educational exhibits, staff offices, The Nature Store, and The Perch Coffee Lounge. The surrounding landscape serves as an outdoor classroom with seven miles of hiking trails, hardwood forests, lake, vernal pool, and more.

The current photo exhibition in Kiernan Hall is: 'Birds & Nature From Around the World' by Deirdre Corcoran Foote.

DETAILS: 

DATE: THURSDAY, October 24, 2024

LOCATION: Greenwich Audubon Center 613 Riversville Road, Greenwich, CT 

Phone: (203) 869-5272

DIRECTIONS: https://greenwich.audubon.org/directions

START TIME: 10:00 AM 

LUNCH: 12:30 PM Bring your own lunch.  The cafe has beverages for purchase.

SHOW and TELL: Following lunch, this is the social portion of our day when we will share our drawings, techniques, and stories. It is a time not to be missed.

NOTES:

• Bring your own stools.
• Trails are open sunrise to sunset.  Center opens at 10:00 AM.
• Admission is free, but a $6 donation is suggested per person.

Please RSVP to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org

 

Looking for us? Contact: Cathy at (914) 625-0766  

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

Jersey sketchers at Freylinghuysen

 NJ Sketchers at Freylinghuysen

Join us at Freylinghuysen Arboretum 

This public arboretum is a place of natural beauty and learning, with nearly 2,000 specimen trees and plantings, gorgeous formal gardens, woodlands, meadows, walking trails and a historic mansion on 124 acres. The Frelinghuysen Arboretum is open to the public year-round, every season delights the senses and beckons your visit. 

Some of our sketchers have been here and recommend it!

DATE: Friday, October 25th

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  Freylinghuysen Arboretum 

353 E Hanover Street

Morristown, NJ

https://maps.app.goo.gl/oUyaZB9axi8fy2gQ7?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

There is a visitor center. We can meet near there.

RSVP to margaret.casagrande@gmail.com

646-515-9913

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

 Weekday Sketchers at Forest Hills Gardens Railroad Station

They don't make 'em like that anymore!

How often have you heard that statement?  In this case it is true.  They don't make train stations, especially suburban stops like this anymore, ever.   When Forest Hills was being developed out of Dutch owned farms in Queens, the developers paid attention to every detail in order to attract people to buy homes in this remote outpost of the city.  The railroad station was an integral part of the plan as the target population would have been business(men) commuting into the city for work and returning to their bucolic home outside the city. 

Join us for the day as we sketch this unique setting of tutor buildings in a beautiful neighborhood. 

Thanks to Diana Berchan for suggesting this location!

DATE: WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2024

STARTING TIME: 10:30 AM

LOCATION:  FOREST HILLS GARDENS STATON SQUARE

TRANSPORTATION: E, F, M, R to Forest Hills/ 71st Ave 

                                        Long Island RR to Forest Hills

When you exit the station walk to Continental Ave and walk to Burns AVE to the meeting spot.

NOTES

• Please RSVP directly to Raylie Dunkel at President@NYCUrbansketchers.org
• Looking for us? Call or text Raylie at 201-273-0445
• Bathrooms and water are available
• Food can be purchased at nearby vendors
• Bring a stool for best sight lines.
• If you are driving, DO NOT park inside the Forest Hills perimeters.  You will be booted and fined.

SATURDAY: Sketch the Bronx Little Italy

2nd Attempt

Arthur Avenue - The Bronx Little Italy

a sketch outing conceived and planned by Marvel Muñoz

We got rained out last time to everyone's disappointment.  

The weather is looking much more promising for this coming Saturday.

Arthur Avenue is the center of the Bronx's "Little Italy". Although the historical and commercial center of Little Italy is Arthur Avenue itself, the area stretches across East 187th Street from Arthur Avenue to Beaumont Avenue, and is similarly lined with delis, bakeries, cafes and various Italian merchants.  Lots and lots of stuff to draw.

This Little Italy has an Italian immigrant heritage that dates back to around the 1910s or 1920s. Arthur Avenue and Morris Park are viewed as the Bronx's primary Italian American communities, being home to multiple multi-generational family businesses, many of which are still owned and operated by the same families that started them nearly a century ago, and earlier.

In 2016 the American Planning Association selected Belmont’s Little Italy as one of the five "greatest American streets".  And, best of all, we've never sketched there before.  Thank you Marvel for a great idea!

DETAILS:
Where:  Little Italy, the Bronx (along Arthur Avenue).

When: 10:00 AM, on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at Ciccarone Park, 2426 Hughes Ave, Bronx, NY 10458 (see map below)

How:
The nearest subway station to Arthur Avenue is the B and D stop at Fordham Road, a 15-minute walk away. 

Metro-North’s Fordham station is a 10-minute walk. (It’s a 20-minute ride from Grand Central Terminal.) 

There are also several bus lines in the area.  (see map below)

Lunch:  12:00 PM, you can bring your own, or rely on local food options.  There are a lot of places to eat, including delis, restaurants, pastry shops and
bakeries.

Afternoon: 1:00 PM, back to sketching.

Show and tell:  3:00 PM  Meet at D'Auria-Murphy Triangle, Adams Pl, E 183rd St, Bronx, NY 10458, where we will share drawings and tell art stories

Notes:
- Bring a stool if you own one. It gives you so many more options.
- There are bathrooms in Arthur Avenue Market and Ciccarone Park.
- The Belmont Business Improvement District said that they would be glad to share our work on their social media if we tag @bronxlittleitaly on Instagram or email at info@bronxlittleitaly.com

(The purple dotted line in the map above shows the Little Italy neighborhood in the Bronx)

If you can’t find us

call or text Mark at 973-809-9128

or call or text Marvel at 848-345-1969

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

THURSDAY, October 17, 2024: Westchester Sketchers at Playland Park Boardwalk

 

Located on the shores of Long Island Sound, Rye Playland has had a long history as a favorite Westchester recreation area since its opening in 1928.  It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.  

The park will be closed, but we will be sketching on the Boardwalk and surrounding area. There'll be plenty of subjects to sketch: a Spanish Revival Bath House, Art Deco Buildings, a sweeping arcade and boardwalk overlooking Playland Beach and Long Island Sound, as well as people, dogs and the Ice Casino. 

Note: Playland was the amusement park featured at the end of the 1988 movie Big starring Tom Hanks. The scenes of his date with Susan and at the end of the film where the "Zoltar the Magnificent" fortune teller machine returns the adult Tom Hanks to his original childhood age/state of being were filmed on Playland's boardwalk.

DETAILS:

WHEN:  Thursday, October 17, 2024.

START TIME: 10:00 AM We will meet in front of the Playland Ice Casino. 

WHERE:  Rye Playland 1 Playland Parkway, Rye, NY 10580 https://playland.com/ 

            

DIRECTIONS: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/41.0484736,-73.7640448/1+Playland+Pkwy,+Rye,+NY+10580         

             

TRANSPORTATION from NYC: Take Metro-North’s New Haven Line to the Rye Station.  Please contact Marianne if you would like a ride from the station.  The Park is approximately a 5-10 minute ride from the station.

LUNCH: 12:30 PM followed by SHOW and TELL.  Location TBA.

NOTES:

- The Amusement Park is currently closed, so the parking is free.  

- There are plenty of benches, but bring your stools/chairs for more possibilities.

- Bring your lunch or a snack.  There are limited options nearby.  

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

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

Please R.S.V.P. to Cathy Gutterman at westchester@nycurbansketchers.org