Let’s Sketch the Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland Museum of Art

November 29th, 2026

1:30pm - 4pm

Everyone loves this one, usually a big turnout. Sketch anything you want around the museum or in the galleries. Pencil only in the galleries, you can sneak other media in on the tables in the dining area. I’ve done some fun studies staying in one gallery, then coloring it in with my watercolor kit at the tables. We meet at the benches in the atrium by the escalators near the special exhibition galleries at the end. The museum is free, special exhibitions extra. 

Let's Sketch Wade Oval

 

Sunday October 25th

1:30 - 4pm

10820 East Blvd Cleveland, OH 44106

This should be a great fall color event. Wade Oval is the center yard of the Natural History Museum, Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Cleveland Museum of Art. The Frank Gehry designed Peter B. Lewis building is also nearby. Fair weather we’ll meet at the slightly raised stage in the center of the lawn, foul weather will be inside the free atrium portion of the Natural History Museum. Street parking is free on Sundays at meters!

Initial meetup is a loose affair as people get there at different times. Look for people with sketching bags if you’re unsure and just say hi. If we have a distinct meetup place we’ll mention it in the post. At the end of event we meetup at 4pm for group photo and throw down of all the sketches and we get pics of the art for posting. It’s important we share what we do to encourage others!  Everyone has a unique style and level of ability. It’s all about sharing, encouragement and acceptance.

If you’re going and on Facebook, we kindly ask that you mark that you’re going. It’ll REALLY help us when we post all of our art on social media. We print out a list that helps us organize who did what and then get your social media tags and can mark it down on our sheet. We want  you to be recognized!

Let's Sketch at the Ohio Plein Air Competition in Akron

140 E Market St

Akron, OH 22308
9:45am - 1pm

Update: Looks like rain tomorrow, the display of art will be on the third floor of Summit ArtSpace, and the Quick Draw competition might be held inside as well. No rain worries!

Here's something that should interest a lot of people. The Ohio Plein Air Society is having their annual competition the weekend of September 17-20. That Sunday is the jurying. Artists enter one piece and it's displayed on an easel for everyone to see (there may be 40 entrants?). It'll be a chance to see some great plein air artwork. In addition, there's a Quick Draw competition that everyone is invited to enter. $10 cash allows you to get your paper/canvas stamped to enter the contest. Drawing/painting starts at 10am and your entry has to be framed and on display on an easel by 12:30. Regardless if you enter or not, it'll be a chance to see this downtown Akron space (the very cool architecture of the Akron Museum is one block away) and lots of art! 

The plan is to be outside. Inside only if it’s raining. Their parking lot is in the rear and there’s a tree lined strip of grass between it and the sidewalk and that’s where the paintings (and probably the sign up area) will be. 

Lots of stuff to sketch regardless if you're entering the competition.

Initial meetup is a loose affair as people get there at different times. Look for people with sketching bags if you’re unsure and just say hi. If we have a distinct meetup place we’ll mention it in the post. At the end of event (I think this time it will be whenever the judging is over, undetermined exact time), we meetup for a group photo and throw down of all the sketches and we get pics of the art for posting. It’s important we share what we do to encourage others!  Everyone has a unique style and level of ability. It’s all about sharing, encouragement and acceptance.

If you’re going and on Facebook, we kindly ask that you mark that you’re going. It’ll REALLY help us when we post all of our art on social media. We print out a list that helps us organize who did what and then get your social media tags and can mark it down on our sheet. We want  you to be recognized!

Urban Sketchers Manifesto
1.) We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.
2.) Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live, and where we travel.
3.) Our drawings are a record of time and place.
4.) We are truthful to the scenes we witness.
5.) We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.
6.) We support each other and draw together.
7.) We share our drawings online.
8.) We show the world, one drawing at a time.

Open Sketching in Little Italy after the Ohio Summit

 

Mayfield Rd and Murray Hill Rd area.

Open sketching after the summit, we'll be sketching and eating into the evening. Come join us, it's free!!! Plenty of places to eat, we'll have a spot reserved at Trattoria Roman Garden for a limited number. Not sure if it's filled up or not, but TOLI (Tavern of Little Italy) has a nice breezy bar to eat at along with NUMEROUS other options. 

Demos and Sketching around the Cleveland Museum of Art

 

Outside the Cleveand Museum of Art/Wade Lagoon area

August 9th, 10am - 12pm

In conjunction with the Ohio Regional Urban Sketches Summit being here at CIA on Saturday, there will be free sketching/painting demos around the Cleveland Museum of Art area on Sunday morning. Hope to see you there, either sketching or watching demos. We'll have a throw down at the Thinker around 12 ish, maybe a bit later, as I can see the demos running a little long.

Let's Sketch North Coast Harbor and the Rock Hall

 

1000 E Ninth St, Cleveland, OH

4pm - 8pm

In conjunction with the Ohio Regional Urban Sketchers Summit being held on Saturday at the Institute of Art, we're inviting everyone in town to sketch our beautiful city. There's no fee for any of the ancillary events Friday and Sunday (and Saturday evening as well). Throwdown will be at the Cleveland Script Sign at 8pm. See you there! Additional sketching and demos will be held on Sunday around the Cleveland Museum of Art. I'll make a separate event for that. There's a block being held at Nuevo Modern restaurant for us, not sure if it's filled up or not, but if people eat in a hurry maybe some of us can come and go within our allotted space/time.

Let's Sketch Heinen's Downtown

 

July 26th, 2026

1:30pm - 4pm

900 Euclid Ave Cleveland, OH 44115

While it's still around in its grocery store incarnation, let's sketch this Cleveland treasure! We did this several years ago and it was a lot of fun.

Initial meetup is a loose affair as people get there at different times. Look for people with sketching bags if you’re unsure and just say hi. If we have a distinct meetup place we’ll mention it in the post. At the end of event we meetup at 4pm for group photo and throw down of all the sketches and we get pics of the art for posting. It’s important we share what we do to encourage others!  Everyone has a unique style and level of ability. It’s all about sharing, encouragement and acceptance. If you’re going and on Facebook, we kindly ask that you mark that you’re going. It’ll REALLY help us when we post all of our art on social media. We print out a list that helps us organize who did what and then get your social media tags and can mark it down on our sheet. We want  you to be recognized!

Urban Sketchers Manifesto 

1.) We draw on location, indoors or out, capturing what we see from direct observation.

2.) Our drawings tell the story of our surroundings, the places we live, and where we travel.

3.) Our drawings are a record of time and place.

4.) We are truthful to the scenes we witness.

5.) We use any kind of media and cherish our individual styles.

6.) We support each other and draw together.

7.) We share our drawings online.

8.) We show the world, one drawing at a time.

Urban Sketchers is an international non profit organization of which we are the local chapter. Once a year in summer the Ohio chapters get together for an Ohio Symposium. This year it’s in Cleveland August 8th. Fun! We'll have sketching and demo events on Friday the 7th and Sunday the 9th that will be completely free. Stay tuned!