How to Participate in USk Chicago

Just show up! Bring your favorite art materials and come to one of our meet-ups! Details for all our events can be found on our Monthly Events page, Weekly Events page, and Facebook Events page. Our meet-ups are free, and all are welcome!

Sketching Events:

• Monthly Meet-ups: The main USk Chicago group meets once a month, usually on the 3rd weekend of the month, alternating Saturdays and Sundays. The information for the meet-ups can be found on the Monthly Events page. The meet-ups are usually from noon until 3pm with a sketch throwdown at 2:45pm, but see the specific details on the Monthly Events page.
• Weekly Group Meet-ups: There are several small groups that meet weekly or monthly on their own schedule, like the downtown Thursday Nights group, the Near West Sketchers, USk Crystal Lake, Evanston, and more! See the Weekly Events page for information, and we also post about the meet-ups on our Facebook Events page and our Instagram page.
• Sketchwalks: In Spring and Fall, our monthly meet-up is a full day sketching event called a Sketchwalk! We meet in the morning and walk along a route, making sketch stops along the way. It’s a great opportunity to explore another area of Chicago and meet other sketchers! In 2026, the Spring Sketchwalk is in the Pilsen neighborhood, and our Fall Sketchwalk will be in September!
• Sketch Seminar: In July, we host an annual three day sketching event, featuring workshops, lectures, parties, and more! The workshops require a paid registration, but there are many other free opportunities to participate throughout the weekend! See more information on the Seminar home page and the Seminar FAQ’s.

Posting Your Sketches:

• If you want to share your Urban Sketches, we would love to see them and connect with you!
• Facebook: Join our Urban Sketchers Chicago group on Facebook, and once you are a member, you can post your sketches!
• Instagram: We would love to see and share your sketches on our Instagram page. Tag us at @uskchicago, use a hashtag #uskchicago, or invite us to Collaborate on your latest post!

Email List:

• We also have an email list that is sent out each month to share when and where our next Meet-up will take place. Sign up to the USk Email.

The mission of Urban Sketchers Chicago is to connect on-location sketchers across the city and state.  Urban Sketchers Chicago events, workshops, Sketchwalks, and meet-ups are open to everyone. USk Chicago doesn’t have a “membership” per se. The only “requirement” for posting on those pages is that the urban sketches be done on location, from direct observation. Beginners to urban sketching and to art in general are welcome and encouraged, so please jump in! 

Planning a trip to Chicago?

Are you planning to visit Chicago from out of state or the United States?  Let us know!  We’d like to meet you!  Let us know when you will be in town.  If your trip lines up with our regular meet-ups, you are welcome to join us.  If you cannot join a sketch meet, let us know when you will be here and we can attempt to connect you with a USk Chicago member or group of members who are available to meet up and join you in sketching Chicago.

Email us your travel plans at urbansketcherschicago@gmail.com.  You can also connect with us on the pages listed above where we announce sketching activities, sketching tips, sketches and photos from group events.