Talks & Thinkers
Upcoming Events
“I think, to a poet, the human community is like the community of birds to a bird, singing to each other. Love is one of the reasons we are singing to one another, love of language itself, love of sound, love of singing itself, and love of the other birds.” -- Sharon Olds
The Power of Poetry returns. After a warmly received inaugural program, Verse 1 – The Sag Harbor Saints, The Church is excited to invite you to join us for the second iteration, Verse 2 – An Ode to Some Odes, as we explore the voices of three acclaimed poets: Paul Auster, Denis Johnson, and Sharon Olds.
This program is supported by the Fund for Community & Education at The Church
Come hungry for knowledge! Ryunosuke “Jesse” Matsuoka, Restaurateur of Sen and K Pasa, joins us for our first Knowledge Friday of the year and invites you to explore the “Brotherhood of the Traveling Palate.” Hear how sitting down at a table with a family for true local culture and cuisine, immersion beyond the standard tourist favorites, shaped his understanding and appreciation of diverse culinary art and etiquette. Learn how this knowledge has helped him to open several successful restaurants of varying cultural cuisines. Experience his journey to becoming a sake expert and founder of the American Sake Association. Find out, once and for all, what the diet of a Sumo wrestler looks like and what it takes to prepare. After the discussion, there will be a Q&A with the renaissance man of restaurants.
A Sag Harbor resident and current owner of the beloved Sen restaurant on Main Street, Jesse has a passion for all things culinary that began when he was a kid growing up in both Japan and Hawaii. He is an East Ender, but his appetite for cultural culinary curiosity has led him on off-season adventures around the globe., deepening his appreciation for the culinary arts and giving him a unique perspective and taste.
Join Eric Fischl as he muses on three archetypes for emotional and aspirational conditions that all cultures ponder through art: Heaven, Hell, and the Garden. Speaking specifically about the visual arts of Western art history, Eric’s lecture will explore how shape, color, line, gesture, pattern, and scale — the language an artist chooses to express feelings, thoughts, dreams, etc. — can be further explored within the dimension of these three classic motifs. “The archetypes of Heaven, Hell, and the Garden are handy generalizations for the exploration of ways to look at individual works of art though, albeit a little silly,” Eric notes. Come explore works of art (in projection) and hear Eric’s musings and interpretations of a wonderful array of paintings and drawings from the past 700 or so years.
Join us as we awaken our body’s natural ability to harmonize using the ancient Japanese practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu with wellness leaders Susan Remkus-Denis and Maria Maier. The pair will give a brief presentation about the origins and basic components of the practice, outlining why it is an effective and ideal approach for healthcare professionals and self-care seekers alike. After the presentation, attendees will apply the technique while relaxing with the sounds of crystal singing bowls.
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.
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.
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.