Program areas at Philadelphia Sketch Club
Art Workshops - With good success we have reinstated and increased the drawing, painting and print making workshops that were in place before the COVID-19 pandemic. We offer open workshops six days per week, with costumed and nude models.The PSC also partnered with Classical Arts Atelier to offer classical drawing classes for teens and young adults on a drop- in basis. After a three-month period, this class was discontinued due to low attendance.
On-Line Gallery - In order to keep members involved in exhibition opportunities, we utilized an On-Line Gallery on our website for our members to show their works. We also have an On-Line Critique that allows artists to see comments made about their artworks. Artists were also encouraged to note their exhibitions and accomplishments on the Club website and in our monthly newsletter.
Exhibitions - The PSC held 11 exhibitions in our Main Gallery, including the PSC Workshop Exhibition, PHOTOgraphy Exhibition, the 2023 Members Art Exhibition, 163rd Anniversary Gala Silent Auction, Phillustration, Works Under $250, Works on Paper, School District of Philadelphia High School Student Show, Art of the Flower Exhibition, Members Exhibition, and the Under/ Grad Students Exhibition. In addition, there were six smaller exhibitions in the Stewart Room Gallery including 40 Years of Photographic Image Making, by Garry Grisson, Fundraising Gala Silent Auction Exhibition, Historic Items from Archives and on Loan to compliment Silent Auction Items and two additional artists exhibitions.
Archives & Library - Our archives and library contain unique information about the PSC and local artists. We answer several inquiries monthly from researchers and have been cited in many published works. Generally, these requests come from art gallery or museum personnel who are seeking information on artists they present in their exhibitions, graduate-level students who are working on academic papers and family members whose relatives were artists.
Art Collection - We have works from our permanent collection on display to include 44 portraits of members painted by Thomas Anshutz in the 1890s. Several items from our permanent collection are also shown on our website.
Other - During the pandemic, the PSC discontinued its monthly dinner meetings and speakers We are easing back into a quarterly schedule of a lite menu and an open house with information presented to our members. We hope to revert back to the practice of having meetings with art related speakers. We also post related information on our website, Facebook Page, Instagram, Twitter, news related to members, our monthly newsletter, ,(The Portfolio), a members-only section of our website and listings of opportunities and notices.
Other efforts include groups of members having plein aire painting sessions and our status as a historic site. We also have continued our annual Anniversary Gala which is a fund-raising, catered event that raises funds from ticket sales and the auctioning of donated art works.