Space Sight Line installation of The Weight of Water, Photo by Joe Jagos
Tickets
Members: Free with RSVP
Non-Members: $10
The Weight of Water is the title of a site-specific work by Christine Sciulli, currently on view as part of our exhibition, Space – Sight – Line. Join us as Sciulli uses the discussion of the work to present a public dialogue that explores the work’s themes and inspiration, dealing notably with race, the history of slavery on the East End, and its pernicious wake. The Conversation includes presentations by Meghan McGinley, Director of Education at Sag Harbor Cinema, in addition to local educators, Carrie Clark and Cara Nelson, and New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. Senator Sanders will make a special appearance via Zoom to share his work on reparations. A Q&A with all participants will follow the discussion.
Of this event, Sciulli has said:
“My recent efforts to combine artistic practice with my passion for social justice have led me to create The Weight of Water. This program invites our East End community into a space of reflection and discussion with educators and policymakers. I am hoping conversations will grow outward into the community. I believe that Reparative Education is imperative to build a better and more equitable future”
The Audience will have a first-hand look at how education connects to policy, how children process revised and relevant history, and how families and the community at large may learn to generate an informed and engaged electorate who can together move the needle of social justice – “not just at the voting booth,” notes Sciulli, “but by taking on civic engagement in the roles of activists, advocates, lawyers, and representatives to create a full potential future for all New Yorkers.”
CARRIE CLARK
Ross School Dean of Cultural History; Grade 11 Cultural History Teacher; Grade 11 Team Leader
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Carrie Clark first joined the Ross School faculty in 1999 as a Cultural History teacher for its first junior class (Class of 2001). She now serves as the Dean of Cultural History and the Grade 11 team leader. She has led and facilitated multiple workshops on Ross curriculum and pedagogy on and off campus, in the United States, and abroad. She loves working with high school students, and in 2003 she received the Courtney Sale Ross Teacher of the Year Award. Carrie earned her B.A. in history from UCLA and her MA at SUNY Stony Brook. Prior to teaching at Ross, she worked as a master teacher and curriculum specialist while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger and Belize, and as an instructor at Southampton College and SUNY Stony Brook.
MEGHAN McGINLEY
Director of Education, Sag Harbor Cinema
Volunteer, Plain Sight Project
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Meghan McGinley is the Director of Education at Sag Harbor Cinema. She is the former Project Manager of the “Forgetting to Remember” collaboration between Sag Harbor Cinema and the Plain Sight Project, funded by a 200,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Education, and is an ongoing volunteer for the Plain Sight Project. In addition to her community work, McGinley is earning a doctorate in French Studies with a specialization in film at Vanderbilt University.
CARA NELSON
Social Studies Teacher, East Hampton Middle School
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Cara Nelson is a Social Studies Teacher at East Hampton Middle School, where she has taught for 11 years. She is the girls varsity soccer coach, middle school girls basketball coach, advisor of the Debate Team, and co-teacher for the Local History Club. In her spare time, she loves to run, having completed over 30 marathons. She held a Guiness World Record for the fastest female time for the world's highest trail marathon from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro and completed the World Marathon Challenge, running 7 marathons in 7 days across all 7 continents. She lives in Sag Harbor and has called the East End home for 5 years.
JAMES SANDERS JR.
New York State Senator
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Currently in his 6th term, New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. was elected by the people of the 10th senatorial district to the New York State Senate on September 13, 2012. A fiercely devoted public servant, community advocate, Marine Veteran, and family man, Sanders’ life is defined by his work to uplift others. The actions he has taken over the course of his career emphasizes the importance of promoting education, innovation, working-class families, and economic development throughout New York.
Senator Sanders currently represents the neighborhoods of Breezy Point, Jacob Riis Park, Roxbury, Neponsit, Belle Harbor, Rockaway Park, Rockaway Beach, Broad Channel, Howard Beach, Arverne, Far Rockaway, Wave Crest, Edgemere, Bays Water, Rosedale, South Ozone Park, Jamaica, Richmond Hill, Springfield Gardens, Rochdale, Briarwood, Laurelton, and St. Albans.
Born in Hammel Houses, a public housing development in the Rockaways, Senator Sanders is a product of Southeast Queens. After graduating from Far Rockaway High School, Senator Sanders went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in history with a specialization in African-American studies from Brooklyn College in 1984. His love of community-based initiatives and politics blossomed during his time working for former United States Congressman Floyd H. Flake, an experience which ultimately led to his involvement in Southeast Queens communities.
Prior to his time as an elected official, Senator Sanders served Queens School Board District 27 for 10 years, 7 of which he spent as the President of the board. He was the first African-American to hold this position. His leadership in the school board inspired his next endeavor as he was elected in 2001 by the people of the 31st district to be their New York City Council Member. During his time in City Council, Sanders became the first African-American to be voted Chairman of the Economic Development Committee, a vote that was unanimous. Earning this title allowed Senator Sanders the ability to commission studies that allowed for policies of affirmative action, and enhanced opportunities for women and minority owned businesses throughout the city, which were huge wins for the then city council member’s district, and the state of New York as a whole.
Sanders served 12 years on the City Council – the term limit. During his time as a councilmember Sanders had no problem defying the status quo and advocating on behalf of the people in need of representation throughout the city. Therefore, he led the fight against sexual assault and violence against women while also authoring the toughest anti-predatory lending bill in the country. Beyond these actions, he made sure to oversee the wellbeing of his constituents by rebuilding parks and libraries within district 31.
On September 13, 2012 Senator Sanders was chosen once again by the people as he was elected to represent the 10th district as a New York State Senator. Since being elected to the New York State Senate, Senator Sanders has risen to become the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banks and heads the Senate Task Force on Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE).
In addition to being the Chairman of the Senate's Committee on Banks, Senator Sanders is a member of the Committees for Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business; Insurance, Labor, Procurement and Contracts; Racing, Gaming and Wagering; and Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.
Sponsoring monumental legislation and protecting New Yorkers has been at the forefront of Sanders’ endeavors towards a more equitable and just world. An example of this is displayed through the 2022 NY Foreclosure Abuse Prevention Act (FAPA) which works to safeguard homeowners from abusive or unlawful litigation tactics concerning foreclosures. The act holds banks accountable and ensures that homeowners are guaranteed a level playing field that protects them from abuse and manipulation at the hands of lenders. Another such example is highlighted through Carlos’ Law (2022) which increases the penalties for criminal corporate liability for the death or injury of an employee up to $500,000. This ensures that corporations adhere to proper safety protocols, and has the power to save lives across the state that otherwise would have been lost due to corporations neglecting their responsibility to protect their employees from harm.
Additionally, Senator Sanders has prioritized an array of topics hindering Southeast Queens and much of the state including climate change, inadequate wages, lack of access to housing and education, workers protections, the legal cannabis industry, predatory banking practices and several others.
Furthermore, Senator Sanders has fought hard for transit equity, as emphasized by his recent victory after a 16-year battle to bring City-Ticket to the Rockaways, a program that excluded Rockaway residents from accessing discounted Long Island Railroad (LIRR) tickets during off-peak hours. This victory cut the cost of a LIRR ticket from the Rockaways to Manhattan by almost 50%, placing well earned money back into the pockets of constituents in the Senator’s district. Despite this heavily anticipated achievement, Senator Sanders continues to push for transit equity across Southeast Queens, which has been widely regarded as a transportation desert.
Above all else, Senator Sanders places his constituents at #1 on his list of priorities. Through each community-based event, constituent services offered at each office, Listening Tours, Mobile Office opportunities, and social media engagement, Sanders is devoted to fulfilling the needs of District 10. Southeast Queens is truly defined by the unique lived experiences of each individual resident and Senator Sanders is profoundly committed to this fact.
Senator James Sanders Jr. acknowledges that the journey forward is never easy, but he is willing to take the difficult path if it means that his constituents in Southeast Queens will be afforded the protections and access to resources that they deserve.
CHRISTINE SCIULLI
Visual Artist
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Christine Sciulli, a visual artist based in NYC and Amagansett, has created immersive light installations in North American and European galleries, museums, and festivals including the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Center for International Light Art, Cologne's MAKK, Guild Hall, Parrish Art Museum and Smack Mellon Gallery. Her lighting design for the Samsung Rodin Pavilion in Seoul, South Korea won an IALD Award of Merit. Sciulli's practice extends to community activism, producing Jeffrey Colvin's "Present Tense: Black Lives Matter(ed)”, co-creating the female empowerment project "Battle of the Fantasy Girl Bands" and voter advocacy outreach “Chase the Erase" funded by The Center for Artistic Activism, as well as "Project Project Vote." She holds an MFA from Hunter College and a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from Penn State. A studio instructor in Lighting at Parsons School of Design, Sciulli is currently pursuing graduate studies in Social Work at NYU.