Do I need to register in advance?

Advanced registration is encouraged but not required; sessions have 25 spots available and are first-come, first-served.

Bring your own sketchbook and preferred drawing materials; organizers supply limited extras for those without supplies.

Is the meetup suitable for beginners?

Yes—sessions include brief instruction and exercises designed to help beginners and intermediate sketchers.

Where is the meeting point and are there bathrooms nearby?

Meeting point is Pier 3 (lawn near the park side); bathrooms are closest on Pier 2 or at the Boathouse above Pier 4 beach.

The program is intended for adults but older teens are welcome to participate.

What happens if it rains?

Instructors will advise on shelter options or rescheduling; check event listings for updates before arriving.

Sketching at Pier 3: Outdoor Sketchbooking at Brooklyn Bridge Park (July)

On a summer afternoon, Pier 3 at Brooklyn Bridge Park unfurls like an outdoor studio along the East River. Located on the Brooklyn waterfront beneath the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, this grassy pier offers close-up views of rippling water, the Manhattan skyline, and clusters of summer trees and salt-tolerant shrubs that volunteers and park designers planted to stabilize the shoreline. Art Under the Bridge: Outdoor Sketchbooking (July) gathers artists and curious beginners here for a relaxed 90-minute meet-up led by Brooklyn Bridge Park educators.

Bring a sketchbook and favorite pens and paints, then settle onto logs or cushions on the lawn near the park side of the pier. Sessions rotate around the park, but this July date highlights the pier’s green pockets—shrubs, young trees, and the way light reads across wooden decking and river waves. Organizers provide some materials for those who need them; advanced registration is encouraged but not required. Space is limited to 25 attendees, creating a small-group atmosphere that encourages technique sharing, quick guided exercises, and constructive feedback.

What makes this program special is the setting: urban shoreline ecology and hard-edged infrastructure collide to create rich, approachable subjects. Sketchers can study texture contrasts—weathered pier timber, gritty paving, glossy river surfaces—and practice composition framed by bridges and skyline. The program is adult-focused but welcomes older teens, and physical access is straightforward—most activity occurs on flat grass with nearby paved pathways.

Practical notes: meet at Pier 3 on the lawn closer to the park side; bathrooms are nearest on Pier 2 or at the Boathouse above Pier 4 beach. If you need accessibility accommodations, email [email protected]. The class moves at an unhurried pace—short demonstrations followed by open sketch time—so both newcomers and regular sketchbook keepers find value.

Beyond drawing, the meetup is a community portal into Brooklyn Bridge Park’s larger story: reclaimed industrial piers that now host native plantings, recreational spaces, and public programming. Look up between strokes to see the 1883 span of the Brooklyn Bridge and the constant ferry of riverboats; look down to notice sparrows, bees, and the salt-sprayed grasses that make this stretch of shoreline a distinct urban habitat.

Whether you want to explore mark-making in a new environment, sharpen observation skills, or simply trade techniques with other creatives, Art Under the Bridge offers a low-pressure, inspired way to spend an hour and a half outdoors in one of New York’s most active waterfront parks. Arrive early to claim preferred seat and scout subjects; bring a lightweight stool if you prefer a higher vantage. If weather turns, instructors will advise on shelter or rescheduling. For dates and reservations, check Brooklyn Bridge Park's events calendar—the series runs through July with rotating themes across the park.