Join us as we welcome Ukrainian power couple Anna and Dimitri Shelest, known as the Shelest Piano Duo, for a dazzling concert of contemporary classical music woven into a program with purpose. With compositions and arrangements for four hands, the critically acclaimed duo will fill The Church with a beautiful tapestry of American composers (including Amy Beach, Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland, and George Gershwin) and Ukrainian composers (Theodore Akimenko and Myroslav Skoryk), and Cécile Chaminade, in a tribute to International Women’s History Month.  

The pair met in Ukraine during middle school and were married in the United States. Their deep appreciation for the music of both countries and their innovative performances for dignitaries and audiences worldwide have earned them high praise and admiration. Come learn why former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon called their rare achievement “realized diplomacy through music.”

A sincere thank you to our collaborating partners, the Alexander & Buono Foundation, for their continued support in bringing world-class musicians to The Church.

Calling all members! With a well of gratitude, we would like to invite you to our beloved tradition:  The Church Members Appreciation Morning. Join us downstairs in the studio for bagels and coffee, chat with other members, and share your insights with Sheri Pasquarella, our Executive Director and other members of our leadership and team. We are honored to serve this community and are deeply appreciative of the enthusiasm our members bring to our exhibitions, events, and workshops, and the care and attention they show our artists-in-residence. Thank you, members!

For fashion designer and artist Paulo Josepetti, a design is more than just a garment; it’s an expression of creativity and storytelling. Join us at The Church as Josepetti speaks on his work and learn how his upbringing and commitment to sustainability have shaped his career.

Deeply inspired by the vibrant culture of his Brazilian heritage, Josepetti seamlessly blends art and fashion, specializing in one-of-a-kind custom fabrications that emphasize individuality and craftsmanship. Throughout his practice, he remains committed to the use of sustainable materials and practices, frequently employing linen, raw silk, and other natural fibers.

Josepetti is an artist-in-residence at The Church from March 27 – April 9, 2025.

March 23rd Query: What are you willfully ignorant about?

Still, Small Voice draws its name from the idea of the "still, small voice" within—a quiet, inner voice that guides us in moments of reflection. This monthly gathering, started in 2023 as an artistic experiment, now returns as a community-led practice with rotating facilitators. It invites participants to engage in silent reflection and thoughtful sharing, centered around a question about creativity, community, and being human. We forever ever grateful for Nanao Anton & Erling Hope for their contributions, inspirations, and commitment.

This is a space to hear your and others’ authentic voices & own it in community, free of judgement or reaction, as necessary

This is not group therapy, a study group, a political action group or Quaker Meeting.

Please review our Community Values before attending.

In grand commemoration of the opening of Eternal Testamenton Saturday, March 22, co-curators Jeremy Dennis and Meranda Roberts have created an electric series of events that will inspire, delight, and inform all on the topic of the show. The run down is:

5 PM – 6 PM PANEL DISCUSSION WITH JEREMY DENNIS, MERANDA ROBERTS & DENISE SILVA DENNIS: Join us on our studio level for as co-curators Jeremy Dennis and Meranda Roberts, co-curators of the show are joined in conversation by artist Denise Silva Dennis. The trio will dive deeper into some of the themes, intentions and inspirations for the show, providing guests a unique opportunity of insights before seeing the show. The exhibition invites audiences to “reconsider their perceptions of Eastern Long Island in a way that positively engages with Indigenous history and the land we occupy,” according to the Curators. Following a brief Q&A

6 PM – DRUMMING PROCESSIONAL WITH JEFFREY PEGRAM: At the end of the panel discussion, we will be led up to the exhibition via a performance by contemporary Native TSALAGI Nation (Cherokee) Singer and Composer, Jeffry Pegram. Nominated for various indigenous music awards and a historian of Native American culture, the multitalented speaker and lecturer invites all people into the gallery to reflect, contemplate, and expand their awareness.

6:30 –ELISA HARKINS PERFORMANCE:Elisa Harkins (Cherokee, Muscogee) will present a 15-minute performance of Indigenous hymns and hand-drum songs, transforming the former church — on the homelands of the Montaukett and Shinnecock Nations — into a site of Indigenous presence and resistance. Rooted in language revitalization and Indigenous musical traditions, her work challenges the church’s colonial history of forced assimilation while amplifying themes of sovereignty and reclamation central to Eternal Testament. By filling the space with Indigenous sound, Harkins unsettles historical narratives and invites audiences to reconsider their relationship to land, spirituality, and power.

New sessions of Open Studio – Monotype Printmaking are here! In response to increased popularity and demand, we are excited to announce that there are now 2 different levels for the program: INTRO and ADVANCED. This is an ADVANCED session for participants who have taken attended a minimum of TWO Open Studio – Monotype Printmaking sessions at The Church.

New sessions of Open Studio – Monotype Printmaking are here! In response to increased popularity and demand, we are excited to announce that there are now 2 different levels for the program: INTRO and ADVANCED. This is an INTRO session, there are no prerequisites to attend.

Why exactly are Tom’s typewriters special, and how did Simon’s audacious vision for the installation come to life?  Join Joe Jagos, The Church’s exhibition coordinator, and Liam Huberty, project research assistant, for a spirited walk-through and lively dialogue that goes behind the scenes of Some of Tom’s Typewriters. Mounting this exhibition required the expertise of Jagos and Huberty, who will share their profound knowledge of the typewriters on view as well as insights into the meticulous planning of the show. Come gain a deeper insight into the machines’ fascinating history and the process of exhibition productions. After the discussion, there will be a Q&A.

Celebrate International Women’s Day with us as we pay tribute to the inspiring women who have done incredible work this past year (and who continue to do so) for the local community and the greater community beyond Sag Harbor. This is a dance party for the ages – and for all ages, genders, and backgrounds. The party itself is not for women only – in fact, we hope all people will come and lift their souls and soles with us in honor of these pillars of our community.

 Join us in saluting this extraordinary humans, selected for the powerful work they’ve done on the East End over the past year or so: Rev. Cecily Broderick of Christ Episcopal Church; the Celebrating Creatives of Color Committee (Beverly Granger, Gwendolyn Hankin, Victoria Pinderhughes, Paula Taylor, and Olivia White); Edwina von Gal (Planned Parenthood/ChangeHamptons.org/Perfect Earth Project); Myrna Davis and April Gornik, curators of Yes, No & Wow: The Push Pin Studios Revolution; Guild Hall’s leadership (Andrea Grover, Amy Kirwin, Kristin Eberstadt, Melanie Crader, Jeannine Dyner, Jennifer Brondo); Lana Jokel, filmmaker; Marit Molin of Hamptons Community Outreach; Barbara Moss, League of Women Voters and founder of the Women’s Film Preservation Fund; Minerva Perez of the Organización Latino-Americana (OLA); Toni Ross (support of Planned Parenthood, criminal justice and prison reform); and the VOTE Initiative (Louise Eastman, Erica-Lynn Huberty, Laurie Lambrecht, and fellow female artists of the East End). Then, raise another glass as we pass the mic to our honorees, who will pay it forward by shouting out their own honoree. Respect. The gift that keeps on giving.

 The International Women’s Day theme for 2025 is #AccelerateAction, illuminating ways in which we can move more boldly toward gender equity. What better way to highlight women’s walk toward equity than to spotlight and celebrate women who embody accelerated action in our community, holding effective positions of leadership, choosing to be powerful advocates for those in need and those at risk, and ensuring the arts continue to flourish and inspire? Join us as we celebrate their achievements with movement, celebration, and the joy of community. Let’s dance!

 A special thank you to Sagaponack Distillery for its generous donation of libations for the evening. And a warm wave of gratitude to our musical magician, DJ Henry Eau, who, standing in solidarity will wield tunes and grooves to keep us on our feet all night long.

Give our regards to Broadway, Walter Bobbie! Join us for Knowledge Friday as we traverse the creative landscape of an award-winning writer, thespian, director, visual artist, and South Fork resident. We invite young actors, musical-theater students, and anyone with a love of theater to “be in the room” to learn from an indispensable source of experience, knowledge, and wisdom.

Learn how embracing the risk of failure –– the risk involved in success –– led Bobbie to create his own opportunities rather than waiting for one to arise. Understand how and why his 28-year run of Chicago on Broadway and the closure of one of his early productions immediately after opening night are both successes in his eyes. Gain insight into his writing process and his knack for navigating successful collaborations. Discover why “spontaneity is the unimagined part of success” and why the greatest teacher of all is simply being in the room and practicing your craft. Come get your questions answered during our Q&A at the end of the presentation.  

Join the transatlantic folk duo Sons of Town Hall comprised of American songwriter/author David Berkeley and British songwriter/producer Ben Parker as they fill The Church’s main gallery with their spellbinding songs and stories under the aliases Josiah Chester Jones and George Ulysses Brown. “Think Simon and Garfunkel lost at sea, and you get a sense of the mythic world at play here,” says The Philadelphia Inquirer.  Travel back in time as the 19^th-century vagabonds take us on a lyrical journey in a hand-built boat to escape troubled pasts in search of adventure and love.

Sons of Town Hall’s show is both very funny and surprisingly poignant as the duo weaves hilarious stories of sailing the seas and roaming the land between their bewitching vocal harmonies and rousing songs. It’s a form of performance art that pulls from the duo’s radio-theater, Madmen Cross the Water and promises to be unlike any concert you’ve seen. Join us for what is sure to be an evening of laughter interspersed with moments of deep contemplation about friendship, resilience, and our shared humanity.

Jackie Hoving and Norm Paris invite you to a drawing salon in the style of Sam Messer’s “drawing happenings.” Having met during their time as Sam’s students in the Yale Norfolk Summer School of Art program, Messer has passed his torch to the couple in the spirit of community. Bring a sketchbook, graphite or colored pencils, and/or pens (please no paints, charcoal, or pastels), and have a seat in the main gallery space to draw the people around you, the space, or something that catches your eye in this meditative experience of observing.

In the style of Sam Messer’s famous drawing happenings, the event is a laid-back environment where the most difficult task is losing yourself to the act of drawing and remaining present. Both Jackie and Norm honor the legacy of Sam’s happenings and his belief in community, bringing people together through drawing. “We are together and alone at the same time,” says Norm.

Please note that this is a casual drawing session and not a class.

Take a deep dive into Some Odes with Sheri Pasquarella, The Church’s incomparable Executive Director. The intimate exhibition explores the work of visual artist Sam Messer and highlights the collaborations and inspirations drawn from friends and fellow creative forces Paul Auster, Eleanor Gaver, Denis Johnson, and Sharon Olds. It is also a direct result of the collaborative dialogue between Messer and Pasquarella. Attendees will receive a guided tour of the exhibition and a revealing look into the process by which it came to be. After the tour, there will be a Q&A.