Upcoming Sketch Outings

Welcome to Urban Sketchers Seattle! The current month's sketch outings are listed below. This page is updated monthly. To receive emails of our events, please make a request to: usk.seattle[at]gmail.com. You can also learn about events by joining our Facebook group. You may share your sketches there and in our Flickr group. On Instagram, follow @uskseattle.

If you are new to Urban Sketchers, please read and follow our Manifesto.

ATTENTION: As you all know, getting around in the Seattle area, especially on I-5, is likely to be more challenging than ever for the next couple years. We’re going to try new tactics on weekday outings to help alleviate commuting woes. We have a couple of outings this month that will go from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to avoid the worst commute times. That’s also a little longer than usual to allow time to grab lunch during the outing if you want to (which might be a fun and sketchy socializing opportunity, too). Or maybe you can sneak out of work and join us during your lunch break? 😉 When possible, we’ll announce the throwdown location in advance so that if you are late to the outing, you’ll know where we’re meeting at the end. As usual, please check the times listed carefully, as they will continue to vary.

Heads up for early March: The Chinatown/International District Lunar New Year celebration is Saturday, March 7. We’ll be checking the weather during the days leading up to it, and if an outing is a go, we’ll announce it a couple of days before. Pencil it in, and watch for further notice!

Sunday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: UW Biology Greenhouse 

3747 W. Stevens Way NE, Seattle (UW campus)

Sketch lush, exotic plants in a toasty environment at the UW’s Biology Greenhouse. Meet at the entrance on the lower street level on the Pacific Street side next to the Burke-Gilman trail. On Sundays, parking is free on campus and in the U-District. Parking services information. Public transportation is also a good option.

Thursday, Feb. 5, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Volunteer Park Conservatory/ Seattle Asian Art Museum

1400 East Prospect St., Seattle

The museum and conservatory are both free on first Thursdays. The conservatory has some narrow spaces. If our group is large, we will split up between the conservatory and museum so as not to overwhelm the plants. Groups can switch locations later. Pencil only inside the SAAM galleries. Meet outside the Seattle Asian Art Museum. We’ll have a single throwdown at SAAM’s Fuller Garden Court, which is the large central space beyond the entrance.

Saturday, Feb. 14, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Olympia Coffee Roasting

Olympia Coffee Roasting (US Bank City Centre)
1420 Fifth Ave., Seattle

 This spacious venue inside the US Bank City Centre Building is great for interior architecture and people sketching. Meet inside the Fifth and Pike entrance (across from the former Banana Republic and Monorail Espresso). If you use Olympia’s seating, please show appreciation to the venue by patronizing it.

Saturday, Feb. 21, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Wintergrass

Bellevue Hyatt Regency
900 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue

Wintergrass is the Puget Sound region’s annual nonprofit bluegrass music festival. Although you can buy admission for stage performances, plenty of informal jammin’, trade show and other events are happening in free areas throughout the venue. Parking is available at the hotel, in the Lincoln Square Mall across the street to the south or at Bellevue Square. Meet in the Winter Garden atrium near the hotel lobby (red lanterns overhead). Throwdown in the same area.

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.: Seattle Central Library

1000 4th Ave., Seattle

Sketch the challenging angles of the Koolhaas/Prince-Ramus-designed building from outside or sketch inside the cozy library. Meet inside the Fifth Avenue entrance. Throwdown on Level 3 (Fifth Avenue) in the Living Room area.

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PLEASE NOTE: At most USk outings, at least one admin is present to act as “leader” for that event. Very occasionally, no admins are available to attend. If you have attended previously and know the drill, and you notice that no admins have stepped up to start the outing at the appointed start time, please welcome any first-timers, decide on a throwdown location, and announce the throwdown time. If you can, please also take a group photo after the throwdown and share on social media with the hashtag #uskseattle . Thank you!

-        Your USk admin team:

Tina (tinakoyama1 [at] gmail)
Kate (mkbuike [at] comcast.net)
Jane (janewingfield [at] gmail.com)
Kim (jkplus2 [at] gmail.com) 

Attention Google Group E-mail Subscribers

Some Google email group members are still occasionally finding our emails in their spam folders. Please go into your spam folder options and choose “never block” mail from
urbansketchers-seattle@googlegroups.com . We are also experiencing occasional problems with our emails not going out at all or only to some members. It’s frustrating and annoying, but we don’t know how to resolve it. This page on the blog is always kept up to date with the current outing announcements, so if you haven't received your email, please check here!