Watermark Sketch Minneapolis 2025 (2 Day Event)

Urban Sketchers Twin Cities invites you to Watermark. Register now for this FREE two-day sketching event celebrating the Mississippi riverfront and the St. Anthony Main area of Minneapolis. Festivities begin Friday, September 26 at 6pm and continue through Saturday, September 27, 2025.

OVERVIEW: On Friday evening, September 26th, join us at the A-Mill Performance Hall for an opening reception and presentation by Jim Richards, "Drawing With A Mission".

On Saturday, September 27th, Jim Richards and three Urban Sketchers Twin Cities artists lead demos around the St. Anthony Main area of Minneapolis in the morning. We will lead sketchwalks to various locations in the afternoon, have post-sketch socializing, and end our evening at 7pm.

DETAILED SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26-

4:45-6:15- (optional)- Sketchers gather for dinner at Aster Cafe or Jefe Cucina, or other locations

6:00-7:00- Registration, Welcome/Reception with light snacks at the A-Mill Performance Hall. Raffles for art supplies.

7:00-8:00— Jim Richards Presentation- “Drawing With A Mission”

8:00- Closing remarks, raffle winners, review Saturday’s schedule/locations, Q/A.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27-

7:00-9:00- Coffee/breakfast (Frgmnt Coffee) inside Riverplace Main Hall or other locations.

9:15-10:15- Sketch Stop #1- participants sketch one or more: Nicollet Island Inn, iron bridge, and Nicollet Island park, Frgmnt Coffee, view from under Hennepin Ave. bridge.

For people new to urban sketching—we will offer “A Demo for Doodlers” to get people started.

10:30-12:00- Sketch Stop #2- Demos by Jim Richards and Urban Sketchers Twin Cities artists Han Collins, Tony Cheng, and Pam Luer.

12:15-1:15- Sketch Stop #3 -Sketch at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and Nyes Bar.

1:15-2:45- Lunch- Sketchers gather various places for lunch, such as Kramarczuk’s Sausage Co., Punch Pizza Northeast, Chipotle, Noodles, Lunds, or other locations.

2:45-3:45- Stop #4-Sketch Northeast (Hennepin Ave & University).

3:45-4:30- Throw down at the All Saints patio (restaurant opens at 5:00). Group photo.

4:30-7:00- Whitey’s Old Town Saloon for post-sketch socializing and sharing.

7:00- Depart

OTHER INFORMATION:

Go to FAQ's for info. about parking, what to bring, etc...

Go to SPONSORS to learn more about companies providing art supplies at our event.

Go here to learn more about Urban Sketchers Twin Cities, or find us on Facebook.

Ready To Register? Check This Out:

Registration and tickets are required to attend Watermark. Your ticket guarantees entry to all events Friday and Saturday.

Please read through the Participant Waiver below before you register.

PARTICIPANT EVENT WAIVER:

By attending 2025 Watermark Sketch Minneapolis, I acknowledge that the nature of the event could possibly expose me to hazards or risks that could result in my illness, personal injury or death and I understand and appreciate the nature of such hazards and risks. I hereby accept all risk to my health and of my injury or death that may result from such participation, including transportation and all other adjunct activities, and I hereby release Urban Sketchers, Urban Sketchers Twin Cities, its governing board, officers, employees and representatives from any liability to me, my personal representatives, estate, heirs, next of kin, and assigns for any and all claims and causes of action for loss of or damage to my property and for any and all illness or injury to my person, including my death, that may result from or occur during my participation in the Seminar, whether caused by any type of negligence of Urban Sketchers, Urban Sketchers Twin Cities, its governing board, officers, employees, or representatives, or otherwise. I further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Urban Sketchers, Urban Sketchers Twin Cities and its governing board, officers, employees, and representatives from liability for the injury or death of any person(s) and damage to property that may result from my negligent or intentional act or omission while participating in the event.

I HAVE CAREFULLY READ THIS AGREEMENT AND UNDERSTAND IT TO BE A RELEASE OF ALL CLAIMS AND CAUSES OF ACTION FOR MY INJURY OR DEATH OR DAMAGE TO MY PROPERTY THAT OCCURS WHILE PARTICIPATING IN THE ABOVE DESCRIBED ACTIVITY AND THAT IT OBLIGATES ME TO INDEMNIFY THE PARTIES NAMED FOR ANY LIABILITY FOR INJURY OR DEATH OF ANY PERSON AND DAMAGE TO PROPERTY CAUSED BY MY NEGLIGENT OR INTENTIONAL ACT OR OMISSION.

Furthermore, by registering for the 2025 Watermark Sketch Minneapolis, I grant permission for photography, video, and audio recording to be made of me/my likeness and to be used without compensation or use-specific approval by Urban Sketchers Twin Cities and/or Urban Sketchers, and its representatives, indefinitely.

Food allergy warning: We cannot guarantee that food provided at the 2025 Watermark Sketch Minneapolis will be allergen free. Please be advised food may have come in contact or contain peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk, wheat, or eggs.

If the event registrant is under the age of 18, I certify that I, as the registrant’s parent/legal guardian, have obtained permission from the USk Twin Cities organizers to register a minor and I accept all legal obligations.

DEMO INFORMATION: Participants may select a demo to attend on the event weekend. There is no additional registration, you may just go to the one of your choice on Saturday morning. Locations will be announced in September.

DEMO ARTISTS:

James Richards

Friday Keynote Speaker

Jim's work crosses many creative boundaries, and drawing has always been a cornerstone of his creative life and work. He is an award-winning artist, author, urban designer and former university professor whose work explores real places and real stories around the globe. Jim is the author of the award-winning book Freehand Drawing and Discovery: Urban Sketching and Concept Drawing for Designers, a popular text at design schools across the U.S. and abroad.

He is an instructor and former Board of Directors member for Urban Sketchers, an international non-profit that promotes on-location sketching around the globe. His sketches have been published worldwide, appeared in solo and group exhibitions, seen in the National Geographic film Selah and on NBC Nightly News. His solo exhibition "Hemingway's Cuba" was shown in Hemingway’s estate outside Havana (now a national museum) during the 2015 Havana Art Biennial. Richards is the first American invited to have an exhibition in the Nobel Prize winning author's home.

Jim is a popular online instructor on Skillshare.com, Craftsy, and The Great Courses. He travels globally to teach urban sketching workshops for artists, designers and travelers. He's based in Siesta Key, Florida. Website: jamesrichardssketchbook.com

Tony Cheng

Born in the Philippines in 1973, I’ve been living in Minnesota since 2000. By day, I work as a software engineer, but drawing has always been my passion—a creative outlet that balances my analytical day job. I’m a self-taught artist who’s been exploring drawing since childhood. These days, I primarily use pencil, ink, and watercolor, and I describe my style as loose and expressive, often inspired by the small details that catch my attention. I’m always learning and experimenting, so my lines and approach continue to evolve over time. Since 2018, I’ve been a proud member of Urban Sketchers Twin Cities, where I get to connect with others who love drawing from life. In addition to urban sketching, I enjoy figure drawing and inventing scenes from imagination. You can find some of my work online at the Frenetic Pen Project ( https://freneticpenproject.com/), my own little corner of the internet. I also share sketches on Instagram as @xhatch800.

Han Collins

I am a Lakeville-based artist who strives to emphasize the beauty of everyday places. My work is rooted in the belief that art should be accessible: not only in how it’s made, but in what it captures. You don’t need to travel far to find inspiration; beauty is already around us, waiting to be seen.

I see painting as an ongoing practice that anyone can grow in through patience and persistence. My work reflects that philosophy: intentional, approachable, and full of curiosity.

Of all the mediums I’ve used, gouache is my favorite for its versatility and matte finish.

Contact Information:

Instagram: @hancollinsart | https://www.instagram.com/hancollinsart/

Email: aGFuY29sbGluc2FydCB8IGdtYWlsICEgY29t

Website: hancollinsart.com

Minneapolis MN Artist Pam Luer

Staying connected to nature has been an uninterrupted theme of my work. Most of my art career has been spent working within very large formats, including six foot fruits and vegetables. My medium has evolved throughout the years from pastels and house paint on rolls of museum grade sandpaper to intimate sketchbooks filled with nature themed motifs. A quieter and closer look at my interests. Searching for beauty and stillness, remaining connected to nature is what drives my work. Sharing my desire to seek connections to nature through my work, lead to the creation of my Nature Sketchbooks workshops. My images include organic elements as a focal point or anchor, such as, flowers, birds, or vegetation, while the backgrounds evolve from a series of colorful patterns intertwined with the main subject. The organic elements, and patterns support and engage each other through balance, tension, repetitive patterns and color. The relationship is one that moves from detailed order to colorful chaos, much like nature itself. The types of subject matter that compel me to create are common points of beauty like a wooded path, a riverbed or the water’s edge, places many of us have hiked or floated past. My current work, “Sketchbook Pages” are the result of my sketchbook studies freeing themselves from my sketchbooks and making their way onto larger formats.

Contact Information:

Instagram: @pamluer

Website: pamluer.com

Also check out other Arts events in Minneapolis, Fine Arts events in Minneapolis, Exhibitions in Minneapolis.