Creatures of New York: Portraying Pigeons
Stuyvesant Square Park Visual Art Workshop Series with Shawne Cooper
Sunday, September 27, 2026 • 3:00–4:30 p.m.
Join artist, writer, and educator Shawne Cooper for the final session of Creatures of New York, an outdoor visual art workshop series inspired by the familiar creatures of Stuyvesant Square Park.
This closing session, Portraying Pigeons, explores collage and mixed media through one of New York City’s most iconic—and often overlooked—birds.
Using drawing, collage, found shapes, text fragments, and layered materials, participants will create imaginative artworks inspired by pigeons in motion, perched in stillness, or gathered in lively flocks throughout the park. The workshop emphasizes visual storytelling, encouraging participants to combine observation and imagination in playful and unexpected ways.
Designed for all ages and all skill levels, the workshop offers a welcoming, low-pressure environment focused on curiosity, experimentation, and creative confidence rather than technical perfection.
Participants will gather around communal tables in the park to explore how ordinary urban moments can become sources of beauty, humor, and artistic inspiration.
No prior art experience is necessary. Beginners, families, experienced artists, and curious neighbors are all welcome.
About the Series
Creatures of New York invites participants to slow down, observe closely, and rediscover Stuyvesant Square Park through drawing, layering, collage, and storytelling.
Series sessions included:
Drawing Dogs — Blind Contour Drawing
Shaping Squirrels — Stencils & Layering
Portraying Pigeons — Collage & Mixed MediaAbout Shawne Cooper
Shawne Cooper is a New York City–based artist, writer, and educator who leads immersive sketching workshops and cultural adventures blending storytelling, visual journaling, and exploration. She has taught with organizations including Pratt Institute, the New York Public Library, and NYC Urban Sketchers, as well as internationally in Italy and Hawaii.
A longtime resident of the Gramercy Park neighborhood, Shawne has spent decades sketching and observing life in and around Stuyvesant Square Park. Through this series, she invites participants to discover fresh ways of seeing the city and the creatures that share it with us.
Photo by Angelyne Love for SPNA.