Urban Sketchers San Miguel de Allende: A Lively Creative Community

By Meagan Burns

San Miguel de Allende has long been a welcoming place for artists, and the Urban Sketchers (USk) Regional Chapter is no exception. Our local sketchers and visiting artists gather every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to sketch the streets, plazas, architecture, and people of the city.

In 2016, I helped organize our local art group, working with fellow admins Judy Plummer and Rhoda Draws to establish it as an official Regional Chapter of Urban Sketchers, a global organization dedicated to on-location drawing. Since then, the group has grown steadily, especially in the winter months when snowbirds swell our attendance to 40-50 sketchers. In the hot summer months, a core group of about 12 locals keeps it going. Urban Sketchers follows a simple but meaningful manifesto: we draw on location, from direct observation, and share our work in a community setting. There’s no formal instruction at our gatherings, but it’s a great way to connect and network, whether you're looking for inspiration, recommendations on tools, or information on upcoming art workshops and travel sketching opportunities.

México’s Urban Sketchers scene is expanding, with local chapters in México City (the oldest México chapter), Querétaro, Morelia, Cuernavaca, San Luis Potosí, León, Guadalajara, Puebla, and Veracruz. If you're traveling within México or around the globe, chances are there's a local USk chapter you can join for a sketch session.

The appeal of Urban Sketchers is more than just drawing. It creates a sense of community and encourages people to slow down and observe the world in a way they may not otherwise. In today’s fast-moving, tech-laden, and often stressful times, taking a couple of hours to sit and sketch can be both grounding and rewarding.

If you’d like to join, bring your sketchbook and meet us every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Join our Facebook group to stay updated: www.facebook.com/groups/USkSanMigueldeAllende

Learn more about Urban Sketchers International at www.urbansketchers.org