2020: PRESENT EVENTS and OUR OPENING
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is of course hard to determine when The Church will finally open its doors to the public, and how. Previous plans are of course on hold, although construction work is nearly completed.
We hope to do a few limited events in our outdoor park area in the near future. Please stay tuned as we coordinate respectfully with health and legislative authorities on what will be safe for you and our staff and volunteers, and we assure you that all safety precautions will be taken.
TEMPUS FUGIT
Ahead of its formal opening this fall, The Church is pleased to announce an exhibition of works on paper in the historic Prime House from Friday, September 18, to Tuesday, September 29, 2020.
The works included in Tempus Fugit: An Intimate Exhibition of Collected Works on Paper in the Prime House are drawn from the personal collection of Eric Fischl and April Gornik, who have been collecting since the 1980s. The 40 works in the show depict the human figure—nude and clothed, from drawings to watercolors to photographs—by artists active in the 20th and 21st centuries. They include Cindy Sherman, Francesco Clemente, Pierre Bonnard, Auguste Rodin, Gustav Klimt, Diane Arbus, Bill Brandt, Francesca Woodman, Alice Neel and Richard Diebenkorn among many others.
This exhibition is made possible by the transitional moment of the sale of the Prime House, a historic 18th century residence in the village of Sag Harbor. Presently empty of furniture, it gives the public a window in time to see its construction, becoming perfect setting for a show of delicate works on paper - a fugitive medium that is notoriously sensitive to time and light. The timing of the show is therefore limited by a number of factors, including the medium of work shown and the logistics of the sale of the house. This makes this exhibition all the more precious and meaningful in this odd, dislocated and fraught moment in history, inflected by a global pandemic, national unrest and a much anticipated presidential election. The exhibition offers the opportunity to step back from current affairs and look closely at how artists, over more than a century, have focused on the human form and created images that are sensuous, poignant, and funny.
The Colonial-era Prime House is a landmark building in the village of Sag Harbor. Originally built in 1795, the house is named for Nathaniel Prime who was the Pastor of the nearby Presbyterian Church and served as the manse for the Presbyterian church for many years. This 2-story, 3-bay structure is typical of the vernacular Federal style popular from 1780 to 1820 when the United States of American was a new nation and searching to establish its own cultural identity. The house has period molding and fireplaces, wood beamed ceilings and 200-year-old floors. It was previously owned by celebrated Jazz musician Hal McKusick (1972-2017) and stage and screen actor Hurd Hatfield (1951-1972).
The Exhibition is free, but masks are required, social distancing will be enforced, and the audience will be limited on a first come-first served basis.
Friday, September 18 - Tuesday, September 29 daily from 12noon – 5pm
Prime House is located at
31 Madison Street (please enter by garden entrance on Sage Street)
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
Contact Executive Director Sara Cochran, scochran@sagharborchurch.org for more information.
Panelists L-R Jeffrey Colvin, Andina Wekonah Smith, Bonnie Michelle Cannon, Sara Cochran,
Willie Jenkins, and Allanah Evans
The panel WRITING THE PAST TO RIGHT THE FUTURE is part of the larger project PRESENT TENSE: BLACK LIVES MATTER(ED) that celebrated author Jeffrey Colvin’s debut novel AFRICAVILLE and was produced by Christine Sciulli. It was organized by The Church, Arts Center at Duck Creek, Guild Hall, The East Hampton Star and Canio's Books.
Panelists included Jeffrey Colvin, Shinnocock writer and director Andina Wekonah Smith, Bridgehampton Child Care and Reactional Center Director Bonnie Michelle Cannon, activist Willie Jenkins, and Mental Health expert Allanah Evans. It was moderated by Sara Cochan.
Due to rain, the panel was held on August 16, 2020, virtually, by webinar.
PRESENT TENSE: BLACK LIVES MATTER(ED) was sponsored by Sag Harbor Partnership and Kenbe Foundation, with additional support from L+W Market, Harbor Market, Honest Man Restaurant, and The East Hampton Star.
In case you missed it, the panel is available online on our YouTube channel: CLICK HERE
LEE SKOLNICK – A TALK AT THE CHURCH
On Sunday, August 23rd, we held our first on-site program in the garden of The Church. It was a panel discussion to celebrate the release of the book Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership: Public/ Private by Pointed Leaf Press. Since 1980, the New York City-based integrated design firm has specialized in architecture, exhibition design, interpretation, master planning and graphic design. Their monograph was designed in a unique double-sided format with a two-cover format in order to give context to the studio’s extensive work in both the public and private sectors.
Founding partner Lee Skolnick headed up the panel along with his partners, Paul Alter and Jo Ann Secor. They talked about how the manner in which they work together over the last 30 years has evolved, as well as their perception of their profession. Technology has been a huge influence and it was particularly interesting to hear them discuss how a younger generation of architects use it and see differently because of it. They also mentioned how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed their work, and how it will drives future changes in architecture as a whole. During lock-down their entire office, that was spread across the country and the world, came together to brainstorm and experiment with different ideas and forms of public housing. It started as a playful way of working together but has delivered fruitful ideas that they believe will be useful to their work in the future.
Lee Skolnick and his firm are leading the architectural transformation of The Church into a creative cultural center. We look forward to being able to welcome you into its transformed space towards the end of this year.
2019: ART AS ECOSYSTEM PANELS
IN COOPERATION WITH GUILD HALL
ART AS ECOSYSTEM 1
We began plans for The Church with two inaugural events, held in cooperation with Guild Hall, our host while we were without a facility.
The first panel was held on SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2019 AT 2PM AT GUILD HALL
158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937
This first panel brought together luminaries of the art world known for their philanthropy and vision.
Fischl engaged the public panel on “Art as Ecosystem” in order to identify the way art impacts communities and the world, and the way philanthropy invests in a community’s future and connection.
Panelists for the first event were FLAG Art Foundation’s Glenn Fuhrman, Roy Lichtenstein Foundation President Dorothy Lichtenstein, and MacArthur Genius artist Rick Lowe, whose Project Row Houses has radically changed an underserved Houston neighborhood and become a model for such projects nationwide.
ART AS ECOSYSTEM 2
Held on SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019 AT 2PM AT GUILD HALL
158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937
Participants for this second panel were Christine and Andy Hall of the Hall Art Foundation, business strategist and inaugural director of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Christy MacLear, and renowned President of the New York Academy of Art David Kratz.