Pelham Art Center Announces Art Social Series and Figure Drawing Fridays
The Pelham Art Center is proud to continue its Art Social Series this fall. Following the success of its first events—including Open Mic Night, The Portrait Parade, and Music Night—the Art Center is bringing back beloved programming along with new opportunities for the community to gather, create, and connect through the arts. The fall series will feature a second Music Night, this time in the Art Center’s courtyard, as well as a returning Portrait Parade with a Halloween-inspired twist. All Art Social Series events are free and open to the public and will take place on-site at the Pelham Art Center.
The Art of Listening & Creating: Music Night offers an immersive and inspiring evening that brings together sound, music, and visual art. Guests are invited to engage both their listening and creative skills as they create artwork in response to a dynamic performance by local music producer Christian Longoria. Similar to the previous Music Night, tables will be set up throughout the space for artists of all experience levels to respond to the live music through their own artwork. We encourage artists to bring their own supplies. This time, Music Night will move outdoors to the Pelham Art Center courtyard. With music spilling onto Fifth Avenue, it promises to be a memorable evening of creativity and community that you won’t want to miss.
The Costume Portrait Parade returns with a lively speed-drawing experience and a spooky Halloween twist. Artists will be divided into two lines facing one another, with each artist given just five minutes to sketch a portrait before moving on to a new subject. Throughout the evening, participants will continue swapping subjects until every artist has created a portrait of every other artist present. By the end of the event, each participant will have a collection of portraits of themselves created by their fellow artists. To add an extra element of fun, artists are encouraged to come in costume, giving participants another creative detail to incorporate into their drawings.
In addition to these two Art Social Series events, the Pelham Art Center will host two more Figure Drawing sessions on Friday, October 2, and Friday, October 23, from 6–9 p.m. Join us for a relaxed evening of creativity, connection, and artistic exploration. Artists of all experience levels and backgrounds are welcome—from seasoned drawers to those who have never tried figure drawing before. While there will be no instruction provided, these sessions offer a supportive, low-pressure environment to learn, experiment, and enjoy the creative process. A nude figure model will pose for three hours, offering a variety of timed poses. Participants should bring their own art supplies; all mediums are encouraged.
Cost: $30. Participants under the age of 18 must have a signed parent or legal guardian consent form to participate. Signed forms may be brought to the event or emailed in advance to admin@pelhamartcenter.org. The signed waiver can be found here (https://www.pelhamartcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PAC-Figure-Drawing-Waiver.pdf).
With all these events coming up, Nancy Mazzei, the Interim Executive Director of the Pelham Art Center, remarked: “Our Art Social Series continues to grow with each event! The Halloween Portrait Parade is going to be so much fun—a fresh and playful take on speed portrait drawing. We’ve also launched a $30, registration-required Figure Drawing class, something our community has been asking for. We’ve even added a parent waiver for students who need figure-drawing experience as part of their college applications. We feel incredibly lucky to have such a responsive, engaged, and creative community to celebrate this programming with. Thank you all for continuing to show up, participate, and make it happen!”
Additional Art Social Series dates and programming will be announced through the Pelham Art Center’s social media channels, including Instagram @pelhamartcenter and the Pelham Art Center Facebook page, as well as through the Art Center’s website and email blasts. Community members are encouraged to stay tuned and mark their calendars for everything the Art Center has in store this fall.
Sponsorship packages are available and greatly welcomed! For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact nancy@pelhamartcenter.org.