Daytime Classes   

Explore your talents with acrylic paint. In each class, students will transform a blank canvas into a finished masterpiece. With step-by-step instructions, you will be guided to create your one-of-a-kind work. Students will learn and use techniques such as blending, layering, splattering, and dry brushing to add texture and detail to their work. The subjects will be different from the previous session. All levels are welcome, and no experience is required. 

This semester will feature all new paintings, and will not repeat paintings from previous semesters. The day and evening classes will be working on the same subjects.

Take a look at some pictures from Cherilyn Santiago's past classes here.

Explore your talents with acrylic paint. In each class, students will transform a blank canvas into a finished masterpiece. With step-by-step instructions, you will be guided to create your one-of-a-kind work. Students will learn and use techniques such as blending, layering, splattering, and dry brushing to add texture and detail to their work. The subjects will be different from the previous session. All levels are welcome, and no experience is required. 

This semester will feature all new paintings, and will not repeat paintings from previous semesters. The day and evening classes will be working on the same subjects.

Take a look at some pictures from Cherilyn Santiago's past classes here.

In this one-hour mat Pilates class, you will move through the classical and contemporary Pilates repertoire to strengthen and stretch the body. You will gain core strength to support the lower back and improve your posture and flexibility. Modifications will be made for any condition or injury.

In this one-hour mat Pilates class, you will move through the classical and contemporary Pilates repertoire to strengthen and stretch the body. You will gain core strength to support the lower back and improve your posture and flexibility. Modifications will be made for any condition or injury.

As we age, all of us fall into habits of using our bodies in ways that they were not intended for. Over time muscles become overstretched in some places and under-stretched in others, pulling our bones out of alignment and resulting in pain. In this gentle yoga class, the focus will be on using targeted yoga postures (not all yoga postures are helpful) to rebalance muscle groups and encourage realignment for the prevention and reduction of pain... so maybe we won't have to pop a Tylenol to get through the day! In addition, this class includes instruction in mindfulness practice and stress reduction-- important elements of every yoga session.

In this introduction to Mah Jongg, students will learn the basics of this fun and social game. We will discuss the rules and object of the game, learn tiles/symbols and cards of hands (40/50 different combinations), illustrate examples of winning hands and hands-on practice, and systematically break down the multi-layered components of the game into easily understood segments.

All materials are provided by the instructor.

In this introduction to Mah Jongg, students will learn the basics of this fun and social game. We will discuss the rules and object of the game, learn tiles/symbols and cards of hands (40/50 different combinations), illustrate examples of winning hands and hands-on practice, and systematically break down the multi-layered components of the game into easily understood segments.

All materials are provided by the instructor.

SHiNE Dance Fitness mixes current hit music with original choreography for a fun, confidence-boosting, full-body workout experience. You don't have to be "a dancer" to dance with us. Come as your authentic self, and let the music and moves melt away your stress for a little while. The class is a perfect balance of cardio and toning, following a HIIT format. You will sweat until you sparkle and have fun doing it. SHiNE is for everybody with any body! See you on the dance floor! Learn more about SHiNE Dance Fitness here.

Are you looking to play this captivating card game that blends strategy, teamwork, and fun? In this introductory course, you will learn basic rules, terminology, scoring, and essential strategies to build your confidence and improve your play. After an overview of the game in the first class, you will put your newfound knowledge to practice with hands-on play. Come meet new people and have a great time.

Are you looking to play this captivating card game that blends strategy, teamwork, and fun? In this introductory course, you will learn basic rules, terminology, scoring, and essential strategies to build your confidence and improve your play. After an overview of the game in the first class, you will put your newfound knowledge to practice with hands-on play. Come meet new people and have a great time.

Playland is one of two amusement parks in America to earn the prestigious title of “National Historic Landmark.” It’s a well-deserved honor, as this extraordinary place is a marvel of architectural and landscape design that has entertained and delighted crowds for nearly 100 years.

This 90-minute walking tour through the amusement area will detail the audacious plans and stunning design concepts for the park and reveal fascinating stories that bring the park’s history to life. We’ll stroll the boardwalk, take in the panoramic Sound view, hear about the unbelievable aquatic stunts at the pool, take a ride on the historic carousel, learn secrets of the Dragon Coaster, and so much more!

Using Chair Yoga as the foundation of this class, the focus will be to develop and increase balancing skills critical for staying strong and safe.  Balancing, whether you’re walking, running, jumping, and especially while standing, requires muscle strength and strong bones.  Over time muscles and bones can weaken, causing us to lose strength, and balancing becomes more of a challenge.  BUT…strong muscles and bones are not the only factors that keep us from getting wobbly.  The sensory systems have a huge impact on balance.  The receptors that enable touch and feel, the vestibular system (the complex inner ear workings), and vision have a profound impact, playing havoc with the ability to balance.  Using a series of exercises that integrate both strength and agility with the sensory systems, done on and off the chair, you will align your bones and joints.  Not only will you gain strength and balance more easily, but you will also feel more balanced. 

You think about writing, but every time you face the blank page, anxiety takes over, and you can't let yourself go. Maybe you have an idea for a novel, journal, or essay but feel confused and don't know how to start. This is the class for you! Each week, we will have lessons on craft, where you will learn basic techniques, like structuring your plot or creating a convincing dialogue. You will also learn how to better organize thoughts, call the muses, and acquire discipline to write regularly. The craft lessons are followed by a prompt where we apply the techniques and practice skills that will help you improve your writing and move forward with your project.

Create a landscape or still life watercolor painting in each educational and enjoyable class session, using a variety of creative watercolor techniques, including wet-on-wet, dry-to-wet and the dry brush method, just to name a few. A variety of brushes will be used to expand on these techniques and the occasional use of watercolor pencils will create quick and surprising detail to your painting. Each session will introduce at least one of these techniques, allowing you to bring home a completed masterpiece that is created in a relaxed atmosphere (including background jazz!). This course is designed for both the beginner and more advanced artist. This semester will feature all new paintings and will not repeat paintings from previous semesters. Paintings will be the same as the evening session.

New York City is one of the top centers of the global art scene, and we can visit world-class art exhibitions at no cost on the Upper East Side, some within early 20th-century Gilded Age mansions. Join art museum docent Ginny Poleman, as she curates a two-hour tour of the best art exhibitions, providing insight into the art techniques used, the importance of the pieces to the current market, and their historical context.

Planting bulbs in autumn is essential for ensuring vibrant spring colors in your garden. While it may seem counterintuitive to plant flowers before winter, some perennials need the cool, moist autumn soil and winter temperatures to awaken from their dormancy, and planting them in fall allows them to grow roots and prepare for their spectacular spring display. In this class, you will learn how to plant a multitude of bulbs, such as tulips, crocuses, and daffodils, in strategic layers to ensure a beautiful bouquet of spring color. The planter, soil, and all the bulbs will be provided. Just bring your enthusiasm and a willingness to get a little dirty! You will go home with a planter that will need to live outside so it will burst with color in the spring.

This course will cover the fundamental principles and techniques of drawing, such as color basics, blending of two or more colors, value vs hue, layering, shading, as well as linework and composition. During the class, the instructor will explain the how-to, the why, and best practices, present exercises for students to try, and may suggest ideas for drawing subjects. Using the skills taught in each lesson, students will draw on their own and should email a photo or scan of their project to the instructor by the evening before the next session. With permission, student work will be shared on-screen during the next Zoom class for feedback. Beginner and experienced artists are welcome.

Please be sure to register by the day before the class at the latest. You will receive an invitation email with a link to join the Zoom meeting.

Tour our vibrant, intimate 28-acre site in the northwest section of the Bronx along the Hudson River. Focusing on seasonal highlights, a Wave Hill Garden guide will give an overview of their carefully cultivated gardens and extensive collection of rare and unusual plants, along with a general history of the property. From the first awe-inspiring view at the Great Lawn and Pergola Overlook, the ever-changing array of flowers, shrubs, and trees will create an indelible impression in any season.

Following the tour of the gardens, a Curatorial Fellow will lead you on an insightful tour of the cutting-edge contemporary artwork in Glyndor Gallery. Showcasing the work of both emerging and established artists in a unique environment, exhibitions explore the dynamic relationship between nature, culture, and site. Judy Pfaff will be on view in Glyndor Gallery; Emilie L. Gossiaux at Wave Hill House; and Dario Mohr on the Glyndor Terrace Garden. Truly a compelling experience!

Not included in this tour but available at Wave Hill is a cafe with food and beverages.

This tour will meet at Lincoln Center, where we will explore its vast transformation in the early 1960s from a former residential area to one of the world’s most important performing arts centers. Then we will focus on two nearby major monuments to the American Civil Rights Movement. After walking to the Riverside South development, we will discuss its complicated transformation from former NY Central freight railroad yards to a large group of apartment buildings plus an extension of Riverside Park. And we will see some wonderful parts of vintage NYC, including a horse trough, a rare Dutch-style church, and a 19th-century firehouse. Finally, we will learn more about two great Upper West Side museums: the American Museum of Natural History and the New-York Historical Society.

When Andrew Carnegie purchased a swath of property on Fifth Avenue at 90th Street, it was considered the boonies – too far uptown from the acceptable social center. But, of course, where Carnegie goes, others follow. On this tour, we’ll see Carnegie’s house – now the Cooper Hewitt Museum, as well as other turn-of-the-century mansions built by new-money industrialists of the early 20th century, with a stop at the Warburg Mansion, now the Jewish Museum, designed by the “lacy architect,” CPH Gilbert.

This tour will stop at many of the most iconic places in Harlem including the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the Apollo Theater, the Harlem Walk of Fame, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and Strivers Row. As we walk, we will enjoy the beautiful brownstone architecture and wide boulevards of Harlem, and we will note the many ways in which great African Americans are honored there.

Optional, non-included lunch afterward: Harlem Shake, 100 West 124th Street, at Malcolm X Blvd. and Lenox Ave. Everyone orders and pays individually at the counter. Burgers and salads are available, along with the best milkshakes in NYC!

Building on their knowledge of the game, students will review the Mah Jongg basics and the current card of hands. We will learn more defensive, strategic steps towards winning the game and/or playing against challenging players, as well as quicker decision-making in ways of choosing hands (which is the most challenging and difficult for most players) and betting options.

All materials are provided by the instructor.

Building on their knowledge of the game, students will review the Mah Jongg basics and the current card of hands. We will learn more defensive, strategic steps towards winning the game and/or playing against challenging players, as well as quicker decision-making in ways of choosing hands (which is the most challenging and difficult for most players) and betting options.

All materials are provided by the instructor.

See what birds over-winter here on the Bronx River. In addition to the locals that stay all year, there are several species that are here only during the winter. You may also see some of the “wintering ducks,” including the hooded merganser, the American black duck, and the green-winged teal duck.

Join us on a special holiday tour of the Bush-Holley House in Greenwich, CT. This guided tour introduces visitors to two distinct time periods in the history of both the house and the town: the New Nation era (1790-1825), when the house was home to the wealthy mercantile Bush family and the individuals they enslaved; and the Art Colony era (1890-1920), when the Holley family ran it as a boarding house and home to Connecticut’s first art colony. With the house decorated for the holidays, visitors will enjoy a festive walk through the Christmas traditions of the Bush and Holley families. Participants will learn about early American holiday celebrations among the Bush family and their Greenwich neighbors and will enjoy the stories of Christmastime with the Holley family and their artist friends in the era of the Cos Cob Art Colony.

This 110-year-old train terminal welcomes hundreds of thousands people daily. But how many stop to take in this world-class landmark? This 2-hour walking tour will give you reason to stop and admire this magnificent Beaux Arts building like never before.

This exploration of the Grand Central Terminal will include these, and more:

• A brief history of the Vanderbilt family behind the NY Central Railroad and the two Grand Centrals that came before the 1913 Terminal.
• A quick primer on what “Beaux Arts” architecture is and how to identify it.
• Vintage photos of the terminal’s construction, sculptures, and inaccessible areas.
• The incredible story of how the Terminal escaped the wrecking ball.
• The colossal mistake of the Terminal’s Grand Concourse ceiling.
• A trip to the Terminal’s hidden, landmarked cocktail bar that was once a private office.
• A peek into the window catwalks.
• An opportunity to tell secrets across the elliptical Guastavino “Whispering Gallery.”

After the tour, get some holiday shopping done at the annual Grand Central Holiday Market!