USK NYC

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RETREAT 101:

LESSONS FROM USK NYC ON RUNNING AN URBAN SKETCHING TRIP

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT ARRANGING A GROUP TRIP BUT PUT PLANS ON HOLD BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO PROCEED? IT TAKES MONTHS TO PLAN A SUCCESSFUL GROUP SKETCHING TRIP, SAYS CATHY GUTTERMAN, WHO SHARES HER TRIED AND TRUE METHODS HERE.

ASHBURY PARK CAROUSEL BY DONNA DAVID

Agood first step can be establishing a travel committee and dividing responsibilities, such as researching the location. At the suggestion of Margaret Casagrande, the USk NYC travel committee selected Asbury Park and Ocean Grove in New Jersey as the locale for our recent sketching retreat, from 10-12 October this year. Our group leader was Marianne Milzoff who took charge of the planning process and decision-making. She also served as our go-to person during the trip. I assisted with various organizational tasks along the way.

Undeterred by clouds, wind and rain, our group enjoyed a thoroughly successful retreat. We had a treasure trove of inspiration: sparkling beaches, crashing waves, an oceanfront boardwalk, colorful Victorian houses, gingerbread architectural details, historic buildings, a Tent-City. It was a wonderful opportunity to get away for a few days and be fully engaged in sketching together, with plenty of time for sharing and bonding with our fellow group members. Everyone had a good time and is looking forward to the next trip.

AT THE OCEAN GROVE STARVING ARTIST CAFÉ: MARIANNE MIZOFF, JENNIFER RANSOM & ANDREW BORLOZ

RIGHT: OCEAN GROVE WAVES AND ROCKS BY CLAUDIA SCHELLENBERG

RESEARCH YOUR DESTINATION: • Is it an interesting location with lots to sketch? The historic resort towns of Ocean Grove and Asbury

Park fit the bill. • Is it practical and easy to travel to? Our selected location was accessible by train from NYC and less than a 2-hour car ride from Westchester and New

Jersey. • Is it walkable and safe? Walking distances to our sketching sites ranged from .5 mile to 1.5 miles, and the terrain was flat. • Are the accommodations conveniently located and moderately priced? We found a Bed and Breakfast

Inn that could accommodate the majority of our group and had a room where we could gather for

Show and Tell and socializing. It was also ideally located one block from the beach and a few blocks from the center of town. • Note: Bed and Breakfast Inns may not work for everyone. Stairs can be a deterrent for some who may not attend because there is no elevator. Standard hotels offer more amenities. • Are eateries located within walking distance for breakfast, lunch and dinner? • Do you want to avoid crowds? Consider an offseason locale. • Are there indoor options in case of inclement weather?

OCEAN GROVE TENTS BY MARGARET CASAGRANDE

GET THE WORD OUT EARLY: • Start early to build interest in your trip. We began sending out

‘Save the Date’ notices several months before the trip. • As you gather information about transportation, accommodation and itinerary, continue sending announcements about your plans. We notified our members via the NYC Urbans Sketchers newsletter, email distribution lists and Facebook page. • Promote the trip whenever possible, especially during sketching events. • Circulate a contact list with each attendee’s name, cell phone number and B&B. • Share the planned itinerary, plus a list of ideas for inclement weather and maps showing venues, suggested restaurants and points of interest. • It was not easy to organize a group dinner for 35 people. The restaurants in Ocean Grove/Asbury Park either did not want to take a reservation or could not accommodate our large group.

Our solution was to divide into smaller groups, selecting from our list of restaurants.

DEVELOP YOUR ITINERARY: • In addition to planning your itinerary, compile a list of rainy-day alternatives.

Because it was raining upon our arrival on the first day in Ocean Grove, we changed our plans and spent the afternoon schmoozing and sketching together at the Starving Artists Café. • It helps to enlist a local person who can provide an initial orientation and introduction to the area. We were fortunate to have Donna David, urban sketcher and resident of Asbury Park, who led us on an ‘Ocean Grove Sampler’ walking tour on our first day and an optional ‘Many Lives of Asbury Park’ bicycle tour on the second day. In addition, Donna created hand-made maps to help us navigate the area.

BELOW: SHOP WINDOW BY PATRICIA GAIGNAT

SUSAN CUSHIN

DAILY SCHEDULE: • Keep your days loosely structured.

Don’t plan to do too much in one day. Allow for some down time and flexibility. Each morning, we met in the main B&B and enjoyed breakfast together. Depending on the weather, we decided whether or not to follow the planned itinerary for the day. • We gathered for lunch in small groups, at eateries suggested by

Marianne via email. • After lunch, we resumed sketching until 4.30pm and then met at the main B&B for Show and Tell, sharing and socializing.

PHOTOS: • Take lots of photos to remember your trip. • Enlist volunteer photographers to take various photos of the group and their sketches, including ‘action’ and candid shots. • Share the photos with your group – it will help bring back memories for the attendees and stimulate interest for your next group trip.

RIGHT: SKETCHING AT THE STARVING ARTISTS CAFÉ BY DINA SCHLESINGER

22 drawing attention“It was one of my favorite memories of the trip because we all sketched, laughed, and became instant friends.” – Susan Keene Cushin on sketching together at the Starving Artists Café.

“Thanks so much … I can hardly wait til next year!!” – Pamela Tucker.

OCEAN GROVE AUDITORIUM BY CAROL KREIDER

VICTORIAN HOUSE BY BRYL POLIN

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