The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce Nature: Prints, Drawings, and Mixed Media, an exhibition of works on paper by artist Julio Valdez, curated by Graciela Kartofel. This show includes twenty-one works created during the past two decades of Valdez’ artistic career. Utilizing nontraditional materials and processes, he explores the inseparable spiritual relationship between man and his natural environment; on view through September 13th through October 25, 2012.

Deeply influenced by his Dominican cultural heritage, which has instilled in him an acute connection to nature, Valdez continues to search for and contemplate his own identity. The resulting works use a visual language that echoes traditional Latin American mythology and simultaneously blends his past and present. The mythical nature of Caribbean culture is evident in each of Valdez’s works—he uses ancestral symbols with a profoundly sincere contemporary approach. The lizard, turtle, and yucca plant, all indigenous to the Dominican Republic, are regularly featured in his works and emphasize the bond with his homeland despite his residence in New York City. However, Valdez states, “The physical and psychological distance from my birthplace has allowed a critical distance for re-examining my origins [which has] triggered gradual changes in my artistic vocabulary.”

These intimate works on paper are rich and fragmented scenes where the human body is entangled in a sea of colorful symbols and textures. Paying homage to a tradition of quilting, Valdez employs a system of layered earthen tones, prints, drawings, and other media. These built surfaces are tactile as they are vibrant and have spontaneity similar to surrealist automated drawings. The silhouette plays a prominent role in his work, referencing traditional portraiture’s look inward, but his lack of identifying features transforms them into “the everyman.” Kartofel notes, “Although some are self-portraits, it is frequent for the artist to say, ‘This is my brother… this is my son.’ Each portrait is not only physiognomic, but it is also a study of the relation and interaction between humans and nature.”

The complexity of his artistic process has also led to fruitful explorations of the printmaking process itself. Valdez is a master at combining revolutionary techniques and traditional methods, blurring the boundaries between mediums, as he inserts hand worked elements and torn paper in his prints. He often combines processes such as embossment, à la poupée, chine collé, monotype, silk aquatint, and solar plate printmaking. These processes are directly linked to the themes in his work—his hand application and other direct methods honor ancient cultural traditions of Africa and Latin America.

A native of Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic, Julio Valdez moved to the United States in 1993 after receiving a fellowship to work at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in New York City. A painter, printmaker and mixed media artist whose work has been exhibited internationally, he has received numerous prestigious international awards, including an Artist-in-Residence Fellowship at The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City (1997-98), the Silver Palette for Painting at the XXXeme Festival International de la Peinture, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France (1998), the Grand Prize at the XVII E. Leon Jimenes Biennial, the Dominican Republic (2000), and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (2003), among others. Valdez’s work can be found in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Instituto de Artes Graficas Oaxaquena in Oaxaca, Mexico, among others. He currently lives and works in New York City. Julio Valdez’s Harlem studio offers print workshops, lectures and classes, for more information visit www.juliovaldez.com.

Nature: Prints, Drawings, and Mixed Media will travel to the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. On view December 2, 2012 - January 27, 2013.

The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, wildlife, New York City parks, and park history. It is located on the third floor of the NYC Parks & Recreation headquarters, in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for holidays. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/art or call 212-360-8163.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: 212-360-8163

Location: Arsenal (in Central Park)

This multifaceted exhibition examines the life and work of the Impressionist master by highlighting his passion for gardening and the inspiration he drew from his living masterpiece, the garden on the grounds of his home in Giverny, France. Monet's Garden has components in several venues throughout the Garden and has a rich assortment of programming, including concerts and family activities. The curator for this exhibition is Professor Paul Hayes Tucker, the World's foremost authorities on Monet and Impressionism.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: 718-817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Shop for farm fresh fruits , herbs and vegetables,baked cookies,and cakes. There will be a tea tasting and Stellar Market cooking demonstrations as well as representatives from Just Food offering their tips. Nutritional information and health literature will be offered.US cash EBT and WIC vouchers accepted.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 877-7113

Location: Padre Plaza, Success Garden (in Padre Plaza)

Join us to view a series of ornamental textiles inspired by the beauty of Staten Island’s Greenbelt.

This exhibit is made possible in part by a DCA Art Fund Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, (COAHSI), with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Silk Painting Workshop and Reception on Sunday September 29th from 2:00 PM -5:00 PM. For information and registration visit www.statenislandarts.org

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Greenbelt Nature Center (in Blood Root Valley)

From Saturday, October 6, through Wednesday, October 31, The Haunted Pumpkin Garden at The New York Botanical Garden will treat visitors to frightful Halloween fun. Experience the thrills and chills of the season with a garden full of intricately carved pumpkin sculptures, bugs, bats, parties, and parades. On October 20 and 21, master carver Ray Villafane of Food Network fame will transform humongous pumpkins into zombies and other unearthly creatures. Pumpkin sculptures of spooky scarecrows, frightening spiders, sneaky snakes, and more await discovery at every turn in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Every day, youngsters can play inside a “gourd-geous” Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, learn about owls, and join a Halloween Parade, while every weekend offers even more treats.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

The Alliance for Downtown New York is giving away 4,000 geraniums at Bowling Green park as part of its annual Green Around Lower Manhattan programming to create a sustainable Lower Manhattan. They are being given away for free, so come adopt a geranium and enjoy a potted plant in your home or office.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 566-6700

Location: Bowling Green

The top of Moses Mt. offers a large expanse of sky, perfect for viewing migrating hawks and other raptors.

Possibilities include red-tailed, Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks, turkey and black vultures, and maybe even a bald eagle.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone: 718.483.7110

Location: Parking Area (in High Rock Park)

Learn to play pétanque, the popular European game anchored in precision, patience, and camaraderie from members of La Boule New Yorkaise, NYC's championship-winning club. Available for parties.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Petanque Courts (in Bryant Park)

Come play ping pong at Bryant Park!

Paddles and balls will be provided free of charge to all skill levels.

Visit the park and sign up with an attendant, who can arrange a friendly game.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Ping Pong Court (in Bryant Park)

Game boards, including chess, backgammon, checkers, and Scrabble, are available for a small fee. Provided by the Marshall Chess Club.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Fountain Terrace (in Bryant Park),Chess Area (in Bryant Park)

Le Carrousel was specially created to complement the park's French classical style, featuring brightly colored animals and French cabaret music.

$2 per ride, or buy a discount card to enjoy 10 rides for $15.

Weather permitting. Also available for parties.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Le Carrousel (in Bryant Park)

For more than ten years, the Corinne May Botz searched for ghost stories in buildings across the United States. She ventured into these haunted places with both camera and tape recorder in hand; her photographs, accompanied by first-person narratives, reveal a rare glimpse into American interiors, both physical and psychological.

She says, “The first thing that inspired the project were writers like Edith Wharton, Charlotte Bronte and even Toni Morrison. Often these ghost stories were written by women as a means of articulating domestic discontents. I was interested in the idea of a woman being trapped in the home or by domestic space and how this was expressed in history."

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Alice Austen House Museum (in Alice Austen Park)

It's Summertime and no better time to be a part of The In Crowd. Performances by internationally-acclaimed ragtime, jazz, boogie-woogie, and stride pianists playing the likes of Ella, Ramsey & Scott. Please Say You Will!

Produced in partnership with the Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians and Sam Ash Music Stores.

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 2:30 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Upper Terrace (in Bryant Park)

Holding the Park's northern highlands was key in the American Revolution and the War of 1812 because armies could see their enemies sail down the East River and approach. History buffs will love this tour of the Harlem Meer and its strategic environs.

Groups of seven or more people should call (212) 360-2726 or email tours@centralparknyc.org to schedule a custom tour.

Accessibility level: Hilly, stairs, and a few Park-related obstacles to negotiate - not recommended for people with disabilities

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 1:30 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park)

Fresh Grown Produce, Baked Goods, Flowers and more. We accept USD Cash, EBT ,WIC ,Farm Checks, Debit and Credit cards

Start time: 3:30 pm

End time: 6:30 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Hands and Heart Community Garden

Over the past three years, Columbia Secondary School students have played an integral role in building a school cafeteria compost project, from classroom worm bins to outdoor garden compost. This workshop, led by 7th and 8th grade students from Columbia Secondary School for Math, Science, and Engineering, will focus on on-site compost possibilities for school gardens. They will discuss what compost is and the principles of composting, why and how their school composts, and strategies to engage school communities and students in cafeteria composting.

Grow to Learn registered school gardens may request soil, compost, and lumber for spring delivery.

Start time: 5:30 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 788-8073

Location: Old Croton Aqueduct Gatehouse

This three-part workshop will focus on maintaining and building healthy soil, vital to any productive garden, whether you grow vegetables or flowers. Learn what soil is, how to enrich it the organic way, and what concerns exist for soil in urban areas. Parts 1 and 2 will take place at The New York Botanical Garden, and Part 3 will be hands-on at a Bronx community garden.

Pre-registration is required.

To register or for more information, call 718.817.8026 or e-mail skatz@nybg.org

Start time: 6:00 pm

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone: 718-817-8026

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Honoring Grassroots leaders for a more democratic food system. Winners include: Korean Women's Peasant Association. National Fisheries Solidarity Movement. Unified Peasants Movemen tof the Aguan. Coalition of the Immokalee Workers.Special Guests: Olivier De Scutter, Tom Morello, Karen Washington.

RSVP is required.

Start time: 7:00 pm

End time: 9:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Museum of the American Indian

FLOW returns to Randall's Island Park for 2012 with five new artists and five new site-specific installations along the Park's southern shoreline.

FLOW is a project of the Randall's Island Sports Foundation and the Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA), suported by the Rockefeller Foundation and Made Event.

Start time: 6:00 am

End time: 9:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 830-7722

Location: Waterfront Pathways along Ward's Island (in Randall's Island Park)

DIscover the varieties of birds that call Bryant Park home during the migratory season with guided tours.

Presented in partnership with the New York City Audubon Society

Start time: 8:00 am

End time: 9:00 am

Contact phone:

Location: 'wichcraft coffee kiosk (in Bryant Park)

Join us for a free fitness walking program for adults at Fort Totten Park!

Sponsored by The Fitness Consultants.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 352-4793

Location: Fort Totten Front Gate (in Fort Totten Park)

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce Nature: Prints, Drawings, and Mixed Media, an exhibition of works on paper by artist Julio Valdez, curated by Graciela Kartofel. This show includes twenty-one works created during the past two decades of Valdez’ artistic career. Utilizing nontraditional materials and processes, he explores the inseparable spiritual relationship between man and his natural environment; on view through September 13th through October 25, 2012.

Deeply influenced by his Dominican cultural heritage, which has instilled in him an acute connection to nature, Valdez continues to search for and contemplate his own identity. The resulting works use a visual language that echoes traditional Latin American mythology and simultaneously blends his past and present. The mythical nature of Caribbean culture is evident in each of Valdez’s works—he uses ancestral symbols with a profoundly sincere contemporary approach. The lizard, turtle, and yucca plant, all indigenous to the Dominican Republic, are regularly featured in his works and emphasize the bond with his homeland despite his residence in New York City. However, Valdez states, “The physical and psychological distance from my birthplace has allowed a critical distance for re-examining my origins [which has] triggered gradual changes in my artistic vocabulary.”

These intimate works on paper are rich and fragmented scenes where the human body is entangled in a sea of colorful symbols and textures. Paying homage to a tradition of quilting, Valdez employs a system of layered earthen tones, prints, drawings, and other media. These built surfaces are tactile as they are vibrant and have spontaneity similar to surrealist automated drawings. The silhouette plays a prominent role in his work, referencing traditional portraiture’s look inward, but his lack of identifying features transforms them into “the everyman.” Kartofel notes, “Although some are self-portraits, it is frequent for the artist to say, ‘This is my brother… this is my son.’ Each portrait is not only physiognomic, but it is also a study of the relation and interaction between humans and nature.”

The complexity of his artistic process has also led to fruitful explorations of the printmaking process itself. Valdez is a master at combining revolutionary techniques and traditional methods, blurring the boundaries between mediums, as he inserts hand worked elements and torn paper in his prints. He often combines processes such as embossment, à la poupée, chine collé, monotype, silk aquatint, and solar plate printmaking. These processes are directly linked to the themes in his work—his hand application and other direct methods honor ancient cultural traditions of Africa and Latin America.

A native of Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic, Julio Valdez moved to the United States in 1993 after receiving a fellowship to work at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in New York City. A painter, printmaker and mixed media artist whose work has been exhibited internationally, he has received numerous prestigious international awards, including an Artist-in-Residence Fellowship at The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City (1997-98), the Silver Palette for Painting at the XXXeme Festival International de la Peinture, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France (1998), the Grand Prize at the XVII E. Leon Jimenes Biennial, the Dominican Republic (2000), and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (2003), among others. Valdez’s work can be found in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Instituto de Artes Graficas Oaxaquena in Oaxaca, Mexico, among others. He currently lives and works in New York City. Julio Valdez’s Harlem studio offers print workshops, lectures and classes, for more information visit www.juliovaldez.com.

Nature: Prints, Drawings, and Mixed Media will travel to the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. On view December 2, 2012 - January 27, 2013.

The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, wildlife, New York City parks, and park history. It is located on the third floor of the NYC Parks & Recreation headquarters, in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for holidays. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/art or call 212-360-8163.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: 212-360-8163

Location: Arsenal (in Central Park)

This multifaceted exhibition examines the life and work of the Impressionist master by highlighting his passion for gardening and the inspiration he drew from his living masterpiece, the garden on the grounds of his home in Giverny, France. Monet's Garden has components in several venues throughout the Garden and has a rich assortment of programming, including concerts and family activities. The curator for this exhibition is Professor Paul Hayes Tucker, the World's foremost authorities on Monet and Impressionism.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: 718-817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Join us to view a series of ornamental textiles inspired by the beauty of Staten Island’s Greenbelt.

This exhibit is made possible in part by a DCA Art Fund Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, (COAHSI), with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Silk Painting Workshop and Reception on Sunday September 29th from 2:00 PM -5:00 PM. For information and registration visit www.statenislandarts.org

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Greenbelt Nature Center (in Blood Root Valley)

From Saturday, October 6, through Wednesday, October 31, The Haunted Pumpkin Garden at The New York Botanical Garden will treat visitors to frightful Halloween fun. Experience the thrills and chills of the season with a garden full of intricately carved pumpkin sculptures, bugs, bats, parties, and parades. On October 20 and 21, master carver Ray Villafane of Food Network fame will transform humongous pumpkins into zombies and other unearthly creatures. Pumpkin sculptures of spooky scarecrows, frightening spiders, sneaky snakes, and more await discovery at every turn in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Every day, youngsters can play inside a “gourd-geous” Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, learn about owls, and join a Halloween Parade, while every weekend offers even more treats.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Learn to play pétanque, the popular European game anchored in precision, patience, and camaraderie from members of La Boule New Yorkaise, NYC's championship-winning club. Available for parties.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Petanque Courts (in Bryant Park)

Come play ping pong at Bryant Park!

Paddles and balls will be provided free of charge to all skill levels.

Visit the park and sign up with an attendant, who can arrange a friendly game.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Ping Pong Court (in Bryant Park)

Game boards, including chess, backgammon, checkers, and Scrabble, are available for a small fee. Provided by the Marshall Chess Club.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Fountain Terrace (in Bryant Park),Chess Area (in Bryant Park)

Le Carrousel was specially created to complement the park's French classical style, featuring brightly colored animals and French cabaret music.

$2 per ride, or buy a discount card to enjoy 10 rides for $15.

Weather permitting. Also available for parties.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Le Carrousel (in Bryant Park)

For more than ten years, the Corinne May Botz searched for ghost stories in buildings across the United States. She ventured into these haunted places with both camera and tape recorder in hand; her photographs, accompanied by first-person narratives, reveal a rare glimpse into American interiors, both physical and psychological.

She says, “The first thing that inspired the project were writers like Edith Wharton, Charlotte Bronte and even Toni Morrison. Often these ghost stories were written by women as a means of articulating domestic discontents. I was interested in the idea of a woman being trapped in the home or by domestic space and how this was expressed in history."

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Alice Austen House Museum (in Alice Austen Park)

It's Summertime and no better time to be a part of The In Crowd. Performances by internationally-acclaimed ragtime, jazz, boogie-woogie, and stride pianists playing the likes of Ella, Ramsey & Scott. Please Say You Will!

Produced in partnership with the Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians and Sam Ash Music Stores.

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 2:30 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Upper Terrace (in Bryant Park)

Join us for a tour through Central Park in which you will see a hidden bench that tells time, miniature boats powered by the wind, a magnificent sculpture celebrating fresh water, and much more!

Groups of seven or more people should call (212) 360-2726 or email tours@centralparknyc.org to schedule a custom tour.

Accessibility level: Easy to negotiate; paths and few stairs - mostly accessible to people with disabilities

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 1:45 pm

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: East 72 Street and Fifth Avenue (in Central Park)

Make the most of your visit and stop by the High Line Field Station to chat with High Line Greeters. These dedicated volunteers can answer your questions and provide information about the park’s unique design, history, horticulture, art, and more.

The High Line Field Station is open every Thursday and Friday afternoon between 3:00 and 7:00 PM, and every Saturday and Sunday between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 206-9922

Location: Chelsea Market Passage (in The High Line)

Play your hardest at this fun-filled instructional clinic on an official Central Park soccer field. Enhance your soccer skills and learn about sportsmanship while meeting new friends.

Ages 6-9. Registration required; please call 212-348-4867 to register or for more information, visit Central Park Conservancy's Central Park recreation page. Clinics are held every Thursday from September 20, 2012 to October 11, 2012 at the North Meadow Soccer Fields (mid-Park at 97th Street).

Start time: 4:00 pm

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 348-4867

Location: North Meadow Recreation Center (in Central Park)

Chickens have many uses, especially in New York City! These interactive workshops, taught by Bee Ayers of bk farmyards, will teach you about the benefits of raising chickens in an urban setting. We have workshops that are suitable for all levels of knowledge.

Event occurs on the second Thursday of each month from June through October
Schenectady Avenue Community Garden
87-91 Schenectady Ave., Brooklyn

Start time: 5:30 pm

End time: 7:30 pm

Contact phone: (212) 333-2552

Location: Schenectady Avenue Community Garden

Do you want to eat fresh from your garden in December? Come learn how to grow food early in the spring and late into the fall by using simple hoops and row covers to keep your crops warm. This method is being used by farmers and gardeners to grow leafy greens all year round!

This workshop is offered in partnership with Just Food.

Start time: 5:30 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 645-9880 x221

Location: Walt L. Shemal Garden (in Walt L Shemal Garden)

FLOW returns to Randall's Island Park for 2012 with five new artists and five new site-specific installations along the Park's southern shoreline.

FLOW is a project of the Randall's Island Sports Foundation and the Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA), suported by the Rockefeller Foundation and Made Event.

Start time: 6:00 am

End time: 9:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 830-7722

Location: Waterfront Pathways along Ward's Island (in Randall's Island Park)

The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation is pleased to announce Nature: Prints, Drawings, and Mixed Media, an exhibition of works on paper by artist Julio Valdez, curated by Graciela Kartofel. This show includes twenty-one works created during the past two decades of Valdez’ artistic career. Utilizing nontraditional materials and processes, he explores the inseparable spiritual relationship between man and his natural environment; on view through September 13th through October 25, 2012.

Deeply influenced by his Dominican cultural heritage, which has instilled in him an acute connection to nature, Valdez continues to search for and contemplate his own identity. The resulting works use a visual language that echoes traditional Latin American mythology and simultaneously blends his past and present. The mythical nature of Caribbean culture is evident in each of Valdez’s works—he uses ancestral symbols with a profoundly sincere contemporary approach. The lizard, turtle, and yucca plant, all indigenous to the Dominican Republic, are regularly featured in his works and emphasize the bond with his homeland despite his residence in New York City. However, Valdez states, “The physical and psychological distance from my birthplace has allowed a critical distance for re-examining my origins [which has] triggered gradual changes in my artistic vocabulary.”

These intimate works on paper are rich and fragmented scenes where the human body is entangled in a sea of colorful symbols and textures. Paying homage to a tradition of quilting, Valdez employs a system of layered earthen tones, prints, drawings, and other media. These built surfaces are tactile as they are vibrant and have spontaneity similar to surrealist automated drawings. The silhouette plays a prominent role in his work, referencing traditional portraiture’s look inward, but his lack of identifying features transforms them into “the everyman.” Kartofel notes, “Although some are self-portraits, it is frequent for the artist to say, ‘This is my brother… this is my son.’ Each portrait is not only physiognomic, but it is also a study of the relation and interaction between humans and nature.”

The complexity of his artistic process has also led to fruitful explorations of the printmaking process itself. Valdez is a master at combining revolutionary techniques and traditional methods, blurring the boundaries between mediums, as he inserts hand worked elements and torn paper in his prints. He often combines processes such as embossment, à la poupée, chine collé, monotype, silk aquatint, and solar plate printmaking. These processes are directly linked to the themes in his work—his hand application and other direct methods honor ancient cultural traditions of Africa and Latin America.

A native of Santo Domingo, The Dominican Republic, Julio Valdez moved to the United States in 1993 after receiving a fellowship to work at the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in New York City. A painter, printmaker and mixed media artist whose work has been exhibited internationally, he has received numerous prestigious international awards, including an Artist-in-Residence Fellowship at The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York City (1997-98), the Silver Palette for Painting at the XXXeme Festival International de la Peinture, Cagnes-sur-Mer, France (1998), the Grand Prize at the XVII E. Leon Jimenes Biennial, the Dominican Republic (2000), and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship (2003), among others. Valdez’s work can be found in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Instituto de Artes Graficas Oaxaquena in Oaxaca, Mexico, among others. He currently lives and works in New York City. Julio Valdez’s Harlem studio offers print workshops, lectures and classes, for more information visit www.juliovaldez.com.

Nature: Prints, Drawings, and Mixed Media will travel to the Center for Contemporary Printmaking in Norwalk, Connecticut. On view December 2, 2012 - January 27, 2013.

The Arsenal Gallery is dedicated to examining themes of nature, urban space, wildlife, New York City parks, and park history. It is located on the third floor of the NYC Parks & Recreation headquarters, in Central Park, on Fifth Avenue at 64th Street. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. except for holidays. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/parks/art or call 212-360-8163.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: 212-360-8163

Location: Arsenal (in Central Park)

This multifaceted exhibition examines the life and work of the Impressionist master by highlighting his passion for gardening and the inspiration he drew from his living masterpiece, the garden on the grounds of his home in Giverny, France. Monet's Garden has components in several venues throughout the Garden and has a rich assortment of programming, including concerts and family activities. The curator for this exhibition is Professor Paul Hayes Tucker, the World's foremost authorities on Monet and Impressionism.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: 718-817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Join us to view a series of ornamental textiles inspired by the beauty of Staten Island’s Greenbelt.

This exhibit is made possible in part by a DCA Art Fund Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, (COAHSI), with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Silk Painting Workshop and Reception on Sunday September 29th from 2:00 PM -5:00 PM. For information and registration visit www.statenislandarts.org

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Greenbelt Nature Center (in Blood Root Valley)

From Saturday, October 6, through Wednesday, October 31, The Haunted Pumpkin Garden at The New York Botanical Garden will treat visitors to frightful Halloween fun. Experience the thrills and chills of the season with a garden full of intricately carved pumpkin sculptures, bugs, bats, parties, and parades. On October 20 and 21, master carver Ray Villafane of Food Network fame will transform humongous pumpkins into zombies and other unearthly creatures. Pumpkin sculptures of spooky scarecrows, frightening spiders, sneaky snakes, and more await discovery at every turn in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Every day, youngsters can play inside a “gourd-geous” Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, learn about owls, and join a Halloween Parade, while every weekend offers even more treats.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Learn to play pétanque, the popular European game anchored in precision, patience, and camaraderie from members of La Boule New Yorkaise, NYC's championship-winning club. Available for parties.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Petanque Courts (in Bryant Park)

Come play ping pong at Bryant Park!

Paddles and balls will be provided free of charge to all skill levels.

Visit the park and sign up with an attendant, who can arrange a friendly game.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Ping Pong Court (in Bryant Park)

Game boards, including chess, backgammon, checkers, and Scrabble, are available for a small fee. Provided by the Marshall Chess Club.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Fountain Terrace (in Bryant Park),Chess Area (in Bryant Park)

Le Carrousel was specially created to complement the park's French classical style, featuring brightly colored animals and French cabaret music.

$2 per ride, or buy a discount card to enjoy 10 rides for $15.

Weather permitting. Also available for parties.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Le Carrousel (in Bryant Park)

Attention neighborhood foodists: it’s your favorite time of year! Mad. Sq. Eats is returning to Worth Square Friday, September 21! This month-long outdoor market will bring you 26 vendors from some of the city’s most raved about eateries, including returning Mad. Sq. Eats favorites as well as some newbies to keep things feeling fresh.

With the extensive line-up of vendors, be sure to stop by early and often and try it all! All are welcome to stop on by, grab a drink and EAT! Mad. Sq. Eats is open daily September 21 through October 19 from 11am to 9pm.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone:

Location:

For more than ten years, the Corinne May Botz searched for ghost stories in buildings across the United States. She ventured into these haunted places with both camera and tape recorder in hand; her photographs, accompanied by first-person narratives, reveal a rare glimpse into American interiors, both physical and psychological.

She says, “The first thing that inspired the project were writers like Edith Wharton, Charlotte Bronte and even Toni Morrison. Often these ghost stories were written by women as a means of articulating domestic discontents. I was interested in the idea of a woman being trapped in the home or by domestic space and how this was expressed in history."

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Alice Austen House Museum (in Alice Austen Park)

It's Summertime and no better time to be a part of The In Crowd. Performances by internationally-acclaimed ragtime, jazz, boogie-woogie, and stride pianists playing the likes of Ella, Ramsey & Scott. Please Say You Will!

Produced in partnership with the Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians and Sam Ash Music Stores.

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 2:30 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Upper Terrace (in Bryant Park)

Walk from the Dairy to Belvedere Castle and learn about the intricate design of Central Park's web of pastoral landscapes and formal romantic vistas.

Groups of seven or more people should call (212) 360-2726 or email tours@centralparknyc.org to schedule a custom tour.

Accessibility level: Hilly, stairs, and a few Park-related obstacles to negotiate - not recommended for people with disabilities.

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 794-4064

Location: Outside the Dairy Gift Shop (in Central Park)

Free tours of the Conference House on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. There is a charge for group tours which are booked separately. Please visit www.conferencehouse.org or call 718-984-6046 for more information.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: 718-984-6046

Location: Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park)

Join the Greenbelt Natural Resources Team in exploring our non-native plant species. A great opportunity to learn about our most pesky invasive species and the threats they present to our parks. We will be inside for an overview and then outside for an exploration. Bring Lunch. Suitable for ages 16 and up. Free program. Registration recommended.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 667-2165 ext 301

Location: Greenbelt Nature Center (in Blood Root Valley)

Make the most of your visit and stop by the High Line Field Station to chat with High Line Greeters. These dedicated volunteers can answer your questions and provide information about the park’s unique design, history, horticulture, art, and more.

The High Line Field Station is open every Thursday and Friday afternoon between 3:00 and 7:00 PM, and every Saturday and Sunday between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

Start time: 3:00 pm

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 206-9922

Location: Chelsea Market Passage (in The High Line)

FLOW returns to Randall's Island Park for 2012 with five new artists and five new site-specific installations along the Park's southern shoreline.

FLOW is a project of the Randall's Island Sports Foundation and the Bronx Museum of the Arts (BxMA), suported by the Rockefeller Foundation and Made Event.

Start time: 6:00 am

End time: 9:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 830-7722

Location: Waterfront Pathways along Ward's Island (in Randall's Island Park)

Join Staten Island Museum's birders and naturalists as we tally all birds seen or heard during this 12 hour period.

This is part of Bird Watcher’s Digest annual "Big Sit" event.

Start time: 6:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 483-7110

Location: Wolfe's Pond Park at Norman Place (in Wolfes Pond Park)

Good Morning! Come join the Van Cortlandt Track Club for regular morning group runs through and around the Yonkers-Bronx border in small groups each Saturday morning at 8AM!

We break into various groups based on different paces and distances, starting with a loop of the Parade Grounds, then some peel off through the trails for various length and speed runs in smaller groups.

Be sure to meet back up after the run for breakfast!

Visit www.vctc.org for details & local running tips.

Start time: 8:00 am

End time:

Contact phone:

Location: Van Cortlandt Stadium (in Van Cortlandt Park)

Bird Walks focus on wildlife happenings in the park and are led by NYC Audubon experts or the Urban Park Rangers.

Wear comfortable shoes, and bring water and a light snack.

Start time: 8:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 430-1890

Location: Van Cortlandt Nature Center (in Van Cortlandt Park)

The largest race at Van Cortlandt Park hosts more than 10,000 people annually on the Parade Ground.

Start time: 8:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 430-1890

Location: Parade Ground North (in Van Cortlandt Park)

Come out and lend a hand to help us rake, weed and do various gardening chores. Join us for coffee and doughnuts in the am. Bring a rake or use one of ours and have some fun.

To volunteer in Westerleigh Park call (718) 442-0336.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone: 718-442-0336

Location: Westerleigh Park

On It's My Park Day, the Friends of Westerleigh Park will be cleaning, raking, and weeding at Westerleigh Park.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 442-0336

Location: Westerleigh Park

On It's My Park Day, the Natural Resources Protective Association will be cleaning debris from the beach at New Dorp Beach.

Start time: 9:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 873-4291

Location: New Dorp Beach (in Franklin D. Roosevelt Boardwalk and Beach)

The Central Park Conservancy offers weekly moderate to brisk walks led by the NY Walkers Club for people 18+ years of all abilities. This low-impact fitness program is perfect for those who want to get in shape, build muscle tone and strength, and increase cardiovascular health while enjoying Central Park’s beautiful landscapes.

Free and no pre-registration is required.

Start time: 9:30 am

End time: 11:00 am

Contact phone: (212) 348-4867

Location: North Meadow Recreation Center (in Central Park)

Quiet like a mountain, yet moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. Short and long form classes are led by Irving Yee, an active member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call (718) 549-3200 ext. 245 by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the class for weather updates. Registration opens on-site at 9:00 a.m.

Photo credit: Joshua Bright

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 549-3200

Location: Wave Hill

This multifaceted exhibition examines the life and work of the Impressionist master by highlighting his passion for gardening and the inspiration he drew from his living masterpiece, the garden on the grounds of his home in Giverny, France. Monet's Garden has components in several venues throughout the Garden and has a rich assortment of programming, including concerts and family activities. The curator for this exhibition is Professor Paul Hayes Tucker, the World's foremost authorities on Monet and Impressionism.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: 718-817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Garden along Brooklyn's beautiful waterfront! The Green Team provides essential horticultural care to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Weekly projects may include planting, mulching, and removing invasive plants. The Green Team is a wonderful opportunity to learn about gardening, enjoy nature, and make the park look its best.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park: Main Street (in Brooklyn Bridge Park)

Join us to view a series of ornamental textiles inspired by the beauty of Staten Island’s Greenbelt.

This exhibit is made possible in part by a DCA Art Fund Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, (COAHSI), with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Silk Painting Workshop and Reception on Sunday September 29th from 2:00 PM -5:00 PM. For information and registration visit www.statenislandarts.org

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Greenbelt Nature Center (in Blood Root Valley)

Explore Wave Hill’s greenhouses and the impressive Ecology Building with its original bowling alley and roof of green grass. Then create your own visionary structure using clay, cardboard and natural and recycled materials.

Photo credit: Wave Hill

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 1:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 549-3200

Location: Wave Hill

From Saturday, October 6, through Wednesday, October 31, The Haunted Pumpkin Garden at The New York Botanical Garden will treat visitors to frightful Halloween fun. Experience the thrills and chills of the season with a garden full of intricately carved pumpkin sculptures, bugs, bats, parties, and parades. On October 20 and 21, master carver Ray Villafane of Food Network fame will transform humongous pumpkins into zombies and other unearthly creatures. Pumpkin sculptures of spooky scarecrows, frightening spiders, sneaky snakes, and more await discovery at every turn in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden. Every day, youngsters can play inside a “gourd-geous” Pumpkin House, put on a scary show at the Pumpkin Puppet Theater, learn about owls, and join a Halloween Parade, while every weekend offers even more treats.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Join us for a series of Tree Giveaway events in local communities where you can pick up a free tree to plant in your own front or back yard!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• 100 trees are available per event.
• Limit one tree per household.
• Register for a tree online ahead of time at to make sure you can receive one.
• Registration closed? Limited quantities of trees will be available first come, first served.
• Trees must be planted in the 5 Boroughs.
• Trees cannot be planted along streets, in city parks, in containers, or on roofs.
• Trees must be properly watered and maintained.

For a full calendar of upcoming fall 2012 Giveaways, please see the MillionTreesNYC website.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 333-2552

Location: Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 6 (in Brooklyn Bridge Park)

Join us for a series of Tree Giveaway events in local communities where you can pick up a free tree to plant in your own front or back yard!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

• 100 trees are available per event.
• Limit one tree per household.
• Register for a tree online ahead of time at to make sure you can receive one.
• Registration closed? Limited quantities of trees will be available first come, first served.
• Trees must be planted in the five boroughs.
• Trees cannot be planted along streets, in city parks, in containers, or on roofs.
• Trees must be properly watered and maintained.

For a full calendar of upcoming fall 2012 Giveaways, please see the MillionTreesNYC website.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 12:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 333-2552

Location: Senior Citizens Sculpture Garden Park

Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and to give back to your city. Volunteer opportunities usually involve manual labor and may not be appropriate for all ages. Some opportunities require pre-registration. All equipment is provided.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 421-2021

Location: Seaview Avenue and East 89th Street (in Canarsie Park)

All aboard for the second annual urban farm tour series, a narrated group tour of some of the Borough’s amazing working farms. October's theme is "Roots of Soul Food." The event is co-hosted by the Bronx Food & Sustainability Coalition, the Bronx Tourism Council, and Bronx Green-Up/The New York Botanical Garden.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 817-8026

Location: The New York Visitors and Convention Bureau

A free day of fishing and fun! Catch and Release Fishing for ages 8-16 (equipment and instruction provided). Nature Games for the whole family. Arts and Crafts. Fun wetlands trivia. Free pumpkin painting, decoration and giveaways. Delicious free cider and donuts. Free "I Fish Randall's Island" T-shirts for the first 50 children.

Start time: 10:00 am

End time: 1:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1899

Location: Waterfront Pathways along Ward's Island (in Randall's Island Park)

Take a tour through Central Park and pass over streams, under arches, and through the woods along a maze of pathways in this secluded 38-acre woodland respite.

Groups of seven or more people should call (212) 360-2726 or email tours@centralparknyc.org to schedule a custom tour.

Accessibility level: Hilly, stairs, and a few Park-related obstacles to negotiate - not recommended for people with disabilities.

Start time: 10:30 am

End time: 11:30 am

Contact phone: (212) 772-0210

Location: Belvedere Castle (in Central Park)

Come get lost in our three-acre interactive corn maze. The adventure begins with a “Stalk Talk” to prepare you for the challenge of finding clues, solving puzzles, and making your way out of the maze.

To add to the adventure, join us for Maze By Moonlight on Saturday, October 6th and 13th, when the maze will be open until 9:00 PM.

Feel up to the challenge? Then join us for the fun of getting lost and loving it!
$9 adults; $5 children (ages 4–11)
Group Rates available for 10 or more people. For details and reservations, visit www.queensfarm.org or call (718) 347-3276

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 4:30 pm

Contact phone: (718) 347-3276

Location: Queens County Farm Museum (in Queens Farm Park)

Pick Your Own Pumpkin

October is Pumpkin Month at the farm! Enjoy the crisp autumn air as you wander through the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin. A fun farm treat for the whole family!

Prices are based on size of pumpkin.
This event will take place each weekend in October.

*On weekdays, pumpkins will be available for purchase in our Gift Shop.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 4:30 pm

Contact phone: (718) 347-3276

Location: Queens County Farm Museum (in Queens Farm Park)

Come to Central Park and marvel at 2,000 Korean chrysanthemums in full multi-colored bloom while touring the autumn Conservatory Garden with curatorial staff!

Provided at no cost to you! No advance registration. No groups please. Weather permitting.

More details, including rain plans and directions, are on the Conservancy's website: centralparknyc.org/calendar

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 12:30 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Conservatory Garden (in Central Park)

Quiet like a mountain, moving like a river, Tai Chi is a sequence of gentle movements based on images found in nature. Short and long form classes are led by Irving Yee, an active member of the William CC Chen Tai Chi School. Sessions are held outdoors only and are weather dependent. Call (718) 549-3200 x245 by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the class for weather updates. Registration opens onsite at 9:00 a.m.

Photo credit: Joshua Bright

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 549-3200

Location: Wave Hill

Come play ping pong at Bryant Park!

Paddles and balls will be provided free of charge to all skill levels.

Visit the park and sign up with an attendant, who can arrange a friendly game.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 6:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Ping Pong Court (in Bryant Park)

Le Carrousel was specially created to complement the park's French classical style, featuring brightly colored animals and French cabaret music.

$2 per ride, or buy a discount card to enjoy 10 rides for $15.

Weather permitting. Also available for parties.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 8:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Le Carrousel (in Bryant Park)

Make the most of your visit and stop by the High Line Field Station to chat with High Line Greeters. These dedicated volunteers can answer your questions and provide information about the park’s unique design, history, horticulture, art, and more.

The High Line Field Station is open every Thursday and Friday afternoon between 3:00 and 7:00 PM, and every Saturday and Sunday between 11:00 AM and 7:00 PM.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 7:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 206-9922

Location: Chelsea Market Passage (in The High Line)

Mark your calendars, and don’t forget to bring Sparky (on leash, please)! Central Park Paws, a program of the Central Park Conservancy, invites dogs and owners of all ages to celebrate Central Park’s vibrant dog community and promote responsible stewardship of the Park at our 10th Annual My Dog Loves Central Park Country Fair.

This free event features:

…BEST IN PARK DOG EVENTS
Dogs and owners can show off their responsible Park behavior in three rounds during the day, each featuring a different behavior skill. Winners will be named 2012 Best in Park Dogs.

With David Muriello of CATCH Canine Trainers Academy

…CANINE GOOD CITIZEN TESTING

…MICROCHIPPING

with the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals

…CHILDREN’S CORNER

with therapy teams from Pet Partners

…TIPS FROM TOP TRAINERS

Stacey Alldredge of Who’s Walking Who Dog Obedience and Behavioral Training

Parvene Farhoody of Behavior Matters, Inc.

…GAMES AND CONTESTS, GIVEAWAYS, CELEBRITY JUDGES, AND MORE!

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: 212-860-1370

Location: Naumburg Bandshell (in Central Park)

The diverse habitats of the Botanical Garden offer visitors a chance to see dozens of species of birds throughout the year. Bring your binoculars and walk the Garden grounds with an expert.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: 718-817-8700

Location: Watson Building, Room 302 (in Bronx Park)

Join us on October 13 from 11am-2pm for Mad. Sq. Park’s annual Fall Kids Fest in celebration of the Conservancy’s 10-year anniversary! Bring your young ones for a free fall-festive day especially dedicated to them and have the whole family enjoy live music, arts and crafts, face painting, snacks, and much much more!

Big-kid hearts and kindie fans can enjoy live performances by groovy faves The Pop Ups, KBC Kids and Songs for Seeds, a special performance of Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Musical Mystery, march around the park in a costume parade led by a Big Apple Circus clown (costumes encouraged but definitely not required), pick a perfect pumpkin from the patch to decorate and take home, fill up on treats and eats, and face painting is a must. Don’t forget our arts and crafts section - it’s a Kids Fest favorite and a guaranteed creative time.

Fall Kids Fest is rain or shine and takes place in beautiful Madison Square Park at 23rd Street between Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenues. This free event is presented by World Class Learning Academy, an international school for children ages 2-11, and Time Out Kids.
Sponsored by New York Life, Appleseeds, Marimekko, UrbanSitter, Plum Organics, Deer Mountain Day Camp, Hill Country Chicken, Rubin Museum of Art, The Museum of Mathematics, The Little Orchestra Society, Big Apple Circus, DiMenna Children’s History Museum, The Treats Truck, Hurds Family Farm, Poland Spring and Pirate’s Booty.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 325-2101

Location: Southern End (in Madison Square Park)

Volunteering is a great way to make new friends and to give back to your city. Volunteer opportunities usually involve manual labor and may not be appropriate for all ages. Some opportunities require pre-registration. All equipment is provided.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 548-0912

Location: Pelham Bay Ranger Station (in Pelham Bay Park)

We offer birding programs throughout the year and our Exploration series focuses on unique wildlife viewing opportunities during particular seasons. Birding programs are appropriate for all skill levels and beginners are welcome. To enhance your experience we encourage you to bring binoculars and field guides, or ask a Ranger to borrow a pair.

Start time: 11:00 am

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 967-3542

Location: High Rock Ranger Station (in High Rock Park)

For more than ten years, the Corinne May Botz searched for ghost stories in buildings across the United States. She ventured into these haunted places with both camera and tape recorder in hand; her photographs, accompanied by first-person narratives, reveal a rare glimpse into American interiors, both physical and psychological.

She says, “The first thing that inspired the project were writers like Edith Wharton, Charlotte Bronte and even Toni Morrison. Often these ghost stories were written by women as a means of articulating domestic discontents. I was interested in the idea of a woman being trapped in the home or by domestic space and how this was expressed in history."

Start time: 11:00 am

End time: 5:00 pm

Contact phone:

Location: Alice Austen House Museum (in Alice Austen Park)

IPAD/IPHONE Photo art and photo editing workshop. Gain massive skills and learn a ton of editing techniques!

Join expert educator, artist and designer Lyle Foxman in this workshop and photo walk funded by COAHSI as he takes you into the world of IPad/IPhone photo art. Packed with tricks, techniques, demonstrations and hands-on tasks, it’s an easy approach for IPad/IPhone and Android Tablet users. Hang on tight as you’re guided through comprehensive exercises on resizing, layers, textures and resolution, color correction, and image touch up. Master advanced techniques for creating eye-popping visuals, tilt-shift photography, panoramic images, sizzling photo effects, and workflows with print, social media, blog and cloud storage service providers. Participants will be encouraged to share their work and create a community blog at http://snapnapp.tumblr.com.

Who Should Take This Course

• Amateur, home photographers/tablet users or anyone looking to improve the quality of their images and their workflow techniques.
• Anyone with and IPad, Iphone or Android tablet device that has access to photo and art apps.
• Anyone who wants to know how to get full quality results using your I-pad, I-phone or mobile device

Staten Island professional photographer Flint Gennari had this to say about Lyle’s September workshop “ With the advent of apps and the availability and ease of smart phones and tablets, a little bit of knowledge will allow anyone to create works of art. No need to reinvent the wheel Lyle’s class offers the information of what’s out there and provides examples of what you can do even if it is your first time transforming your photos into something all will admire”.
Lyle Foxman, has over 15 years experience in the arts, technology and education. He has won numerous arts in education grant awards involving photography, animation and technology. Lyle is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts and has just completed his Master's Degree from Touro College in Instructional Technology.

Workshops October 13th & 14th from 11:30am - 1:30pm (limited to 15 participants)
A free photowalk will take place after at the Alice Austen House & Fort Wadsworth October 13 from 2:00pm - 3:30pm (Open to all)
Registration is available online at http://snapnappworkshops.eventbrite.com/
You can also visit the workshop blog at http://snapnapp.tumblr.com/

** Come prepared to the workshops with your fully charged camera, cables, tablet and mobile devices.
Partial proceeds to go to Alice Austen House. This event is made possible (in part) by a DCA Premier Grant from the Council on the Arts & Humanities for Staten Island, with Public Funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Start time: 11:30 am

End time: 1:30 pm

Contact phone: (917) 597-5263

Location: Alice Austen House Museum (in Alice Austen Park)

Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind? Take a tour and learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 1:30 pm

Contact phone: (718) 287-3400

Location: Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park)

Sharpen your dribbling skills with this interactive clinic focusing on skills development, sportsmanship, and team play.

Clinics are free of charge and open to players of all abilities, aged 9 to 17. Clinics are held every Saturday from April to October at the North Meadow Recreation Center (mid-Park at 97th Street).

For more information check www.centralparknyc.org/visit/recreation/.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 2:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 348-4867

Location: North Meadow Recreation Center (in Central Park)

Celebrate the fall season with games, music, pumpkins, and more!!

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 235-4100

Location: Jamaica Avenue & Elton Street (in Highland Park)

Come celebrate harvest at King Manor with Fall-themed crafts and activities for the whole family! Enjoy a food-themed celebration, including historic food demonstrations, and much more!

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 206-0545 x13

Location: King Manor Museum (in Rufus King Park)

Conference House Association Auxiliary invites you to a harvest tea party in the Conference House kitchen.

Space is limited so reservations are required.

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 984-2491

Location: Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park)

Bring the whole family to rollerblade to music at Faber Park to celebrate Halloween. Bring your best costumes!

This event is presented by Syfy. Syfy is the proud sponsor of 14 NYC Parks fall-themed events across the city, including Pumpkin Fest in Central Park on Saturday, October 27!

Start time: 12:00 pm

End time: 3:00 pm

Contact phone: (718) 816-5558

Location: Faber Park Field House (in Faber Pool and Park)

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed the North Woods to replicate the forests of the Adirondack Mountains, with their crystal streams, tumbling cascades, rustic bridges, and picturesque pools right in New York City's backyard. Join us for a tour through the North Woods and admire their work.

Groups of seven or more people should call (212) 360-2726 or email tours@centralparknyc.org to schedule a custom tour.

Accessibility level: Hilly, stairs, and a few Park-related obstacles to negotiate - not recommended for people with disabilities

Start time: 12:30 pm

End time: 1:30 pm

Contact phone: (212) 860-1370

Location: Charles A. Dana Discovery Center (in Central Park)

Free tours of the Conference House on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. There is a charge for group tours which are booked separately. Please visit www.conferencehouse.org or call 718-984-6046 for more information.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: 718-984-6046

Location: Conference House Museum (in Conference House Park)

View significant artifacts from 19th-century family life and walk into a fully furnished 1820s bedroom. There will be tours every half hour.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 3:30 pm

Contact phone: (718) 789-2822

Location: Lefferts Historic House (in Prospect Park)

Urban Park Rangers specialize in interpretation of historic turning points, both natural and man-made, in our city’s long history.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 304-2365

Location: Little Red Lighthouse (in Fort Washington Park)

All Photography programs are for digital cameras and you must provide your own camera, DSLR preferred, but all cameras are welcome.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time:

Contact phone: (718) 846-2731

Location: Unisphere (in Flushing Meadows Corona Park)

Family Gallery Tours offer an opportunity for children and their parents or caregivers to enjoy looking at and sharing ideas about art. Tours will include discussions and activities about contemporary art that responds to the natural world. The tour begins promptly at 1pm and lasts approximately 45 minutes. A maximum of 20 visitors can be accommodated on the tour. Children ages 4 and older are welcome with an adult.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 1:45 pm

Contact phone: (718) 549-3200

Location: Wave Hill

Upper Manhattan is gearing up to celebrate autumn with a cornucopia of fun during Saturday’s Harvest festival in Fort Tryon Park.

The eleventh annual festival features an array of country-fair-style activities, including judges for pie baking, scarecrow making and pumpkin painting contests, games and performances. A table of delectable cupcakes will also be at hand.

A processional of performers playing kazoos, buckets and other instruments will also bid “goodbye to Persephone, daughter of Demeter, the Greek goddess of the harvest, as she begins her journey to the underworld, where she will spend the winter months,” according to organizers.

Community volunteers organize the free event with support from local businesses and the Parks Department. Participants are asked to bring a donation for a canned food drive for the hungry.

The event takes place Saturday, October 13, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the New Leaf Café lawn in Fort Tryon Park.

Start time: 1:00 pm

End time: 4:00 pm

Contact phone: (212) 795-1388

Location: Cafe Lawn (in Fort Tryon Park)