Free nature painting & drawing workshop

NYC Parks is running a free three-part nature painting and drawing workshop series in Manhattan this month, according to listings on the agency’s events calendar. The program is billed as open to all skill levels and focuses on the fundamentals of watercolor painting and drawing through demonstrations. The listed sessions are part of the agency’s Arts, Culture & Fun series. NYC Parks says supplies will be provided, though quantities are limited. ### When is the next session? Saturday, May 23, 2026, is the next listed date for the workshop at Highbridge Recreation Center in Manhattan, according to NYC Parks. The event page lists the session from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Multi-Use Room at the recreation center, 2301 Amsterdam Avenue. May 16, 2026, was the first listed session in the same three-part series, also at Highbridge Recreation Center and also from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., the agency’s calendar shows. (nycgovparks.org) The repeated listing indicates the workshop is structured as a short series rather than a one-off class. ### What does NYC Parks say people will do there? (nycgovparks.org) NYC Parks says participants will “learn the fundamentals of watercolor painting and drawing through demonstrations,” according to the event pages for the May sessions. The agency describes the program as a nature painting and drawing workshop series and says no experience is necessary. (nycgovparks.org) The event pages also say the workshop is free and open to the public. Supplies are listed as provided but limited, a detail that could affect how early attendees choose to arrive or whether they contact organizers in advance. ### Where is it being held, and who is it for? Highbridge Recreation Center is the listed location for the May 16 and May 23 sessions. (nycgovparks.org) NYC Parks places both events in the Multi-Use Room of the center at 2301 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. The agency says no prior experience is required. That makes the workshop broader than a class aimed only at practiced artists, based on the wording in the event listing. (nycgovparks.org) ### Do people need to register before going? Registration for the May 16 and May 23 listings is marked “closed” on the NYC Parks pages that were publicly available on Thursday, May 21. (nycgovparks.org) The same pages still carry the event details, location information and account-creation prompt used across the agency’s registration system. (nycgovparks.org) NYC Parks directs people seeking more information to its parks website and lists Saudia Thompson as an email contact on the event page. The listing also gives accessibility contact information at accessibility@parks.nyc.gov and (212) 360-1430. ### Is this workshop offered only once? A separate NYC Parks listing shows a similar three-part nature painting workshop beginning June 10, 2026, at Jackie Robinson Recreation Center in Manhattan. (nycgovparks.org) That page lists sessions on June 10, 17 and 24 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., suggesting the agency is repeating the format at another site after the Highbridge dates. (nycgovparks.org) June 10 is the next dated milestone visible on the NYC Parks calendar for this workshop format beyond the current May series. The agency’s events pages remain the place to check location details, registration status and any updated materials information before attending. (nycgovparks.org)