What is Urban Sketchers Tucson?

We are a local Tucson chapter of the international group Urban Sketchers. Our parent organization is an international nonprofit dedicated to fostering a global community of artists who practice on-location drawing.

Our mission
Our mission is to raise the artistic, storytelling and educational value of on-location drawing, promoting its practice and connecting people around the world who draw on location where they live and travel.

Our history
Urban Sketchers Tucson was originally named after member Tama White’s beloved stuffed penguin OPUS. The name OPUS seemed perfect for Old Pueblo Urban Sketchers, especially as Tucson is also known affectionately as ‘The Old Pueblo’.

Over the years, Tama went on to other things and Juanita Lehman became the primary administrator. Juanita kept the group together until Covid put a hold on sketching activities.

About a year ago, Laurel Vogel arrived in Tucson and was excited to begin sketching with the group. She had helped Phil Gagnon set up the USk Ashland Facebook page and started working to help USk Tucson become an official chapter. Laurel, along with co-admins Deana Reynolds, Diana Jackson, and Jeffrey Harker, changed the group’s name to the more recognizable Urban Sketchers Tucson, and applied for USk membership. It took a few months, but Laurel connected with Mark Leibowitz, admin for Urban Sketchers NYC, and joined Facebook pages around the country to see how other groups did things. The founders were delighted when USk Tucson was accepted into the international Urban Sketchers organization in 2021.