Honors students branched all the way out to Central Park last Friday, for a trip to the Parkside Paint & Sip event, sponsored by the Honors Advisory Board and Women’s Leadership Initiative at Pace! We sat in the grass on one of the last warm and sunny days of the year, just as the leaves began to change colors. We sipped on apple cider and sparkling grape juice as we painted peacefully and enjoyed our escape from dirty sidewalks, polluted air, and midterm stress.

We all met in front of 1 Pace Plaza, and as the group grew, so did our excitement. We hopped on the 6 (free of charge thanks to our HAB-provided Metro cards) and rode it all the way up to 68th. From there, we started on our journey through one of the most beautiful (and expensive) neighborhoods in New York: Lenox Hill. If not to see Central Park in all its grandeur, it is so worth the trip to see the slew of dog-walkers traipsing along the sidewalks.

Our first stop was the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument, an easy five minute walk into the park. The first monument in Central Park to represent real women, the impressive bronze statue was crafted by sculptor Meredith Bergmann and unveiled in August 2020. It depicts three of the most significant nineteenth-century women activists (and New Yorkers!) in action: Sojourner Truth speaks as Susan B. Anthony organizes and Elizabeth Cady Stanton writes. The monument celebrates the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment on August 18, 1920—the day on which American women won the right to vote—and honors the hard work of these three women on behalf of abolition, women’s suffrage, and women’s civil rights, along with the thousands of women that stood with them. After a rousing speech from Chief Events Director Julie Vukaj, and a few moments in silent rumination, we were off to find a perfect place to paint and sip. 

After another ten-minute walk through the beautiful, mostly-green foliage, under a bridge, and past a talented saxophonist, we stopped at a lush, green, grassy spot, half in the shade and half in the sun. Events Team Members quickly got to work, laying out picnic blankets and handing out painting supplies. The painting party really started when the music came on, cookies were eaten, and drinks were poured. We started out chatting and laughing together, but as everyone started on their masterpieces, a kind of serene quiet fell upon the group, interrupted only by the odd “That looks amazing,” or “Wow, you’re really good!” (this is true—we have an artistically-talented bunch here in Honors). 

It felt like the two and a half hours zipped by in a matter of seconds. Thankfully, our paint dried quickly in the hot sun; as we reluctantly packed up to leave, we could be sure that our works of art wouldn’t face any damage on the way home. In a final survey of everyone’s work, I was delighted to find a wide range of artistic approaches, from a Bob-Ross-esque mountain landscape to a pair of spooky Halloween kitties to a page full of watercolor Pokémon. Those who really wanted to put the “parkside” in their painting scavenged for leaves (or picked them out of a plastic bag) to create leaf stamps on their canvases. And (since I know you’re wondering) I painted a portrait of my roommate Caroline Lattanzio (pictured below) that we have decided to display in our dorm. Her portrait of me however, is too disturbing to be shown to the public. 

HAB’s Parkside Paint & Sip was a great event, full of relaxation, reflection, and really amazing art. Caroline (‘27) put it best: “This was a nice escape in the midst of the stress of midterms. It was a nice therapeutic day—I didn’t think about a single assignment I had due.” Caroline and I can’t wait for HAB’s next Paint & Sip event so she has a chance to paint a better portrait of me.