Local educator David Cataletto brings his passion for and knowledge of the history of our region to an exciting & invigorating presentation on the history of Sag Harbor. Building upon his popular talks about East Hampton, Cataletto turns his focus to our wonderfully dynamic town. From whaling to the Watch Case, come for this rare opportunity to learn about our beloved village, created specially by David in honor of The Church’s fifth birthday.

The program resonates richly with our mission of fostering creativity on the East End and honoring the living legacy of Sag Harbor’s history as a makers’ village. To top off the occasion, Cataletto will lead a round of sea shanties with the Bonac Shanty Crew, a community band dedicated to reviving a regional tradition – with gusto!

April 26th Query: What is “Nature,” now that we- our effects, our influence, and our effluence - are everywhere?

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.

The church is thrilled to welcome Lee Clay Johnson! The award-winning author of Nitro Mountain is joined by his family of bluegrass musicians for a unique evening of music and storytelling. Weaving together music and excerpts from his second newly released novel, Bloodline ( April 2026, Panamerica), Johnson is both entertaining and illuminating, deepening the connection to the landscape of the novel. Following the unique performance there will be a Q&A with the author and musician.

Set deep in rural Tennessee, Bloodline explores a generational saga of mendacious transformations. The mesmerizing dark comedy is an exploration of masculinity run amuck and the celebration of femininity’s strength and resolve. It is an honest examination of the burdens of heritage & history and the journey of reclamation.

On the happy occasion of our 5^th birthday, we invite you to meet the team here at The Church that makes it happen – to get to know a little bit more about each member of the team, and to gain insights into how things work and the role each plays. Stick around after the talk to help us celebrate the momentous occasion by singing a sweet Happy Birthday to our oasis of creativity and enjoy a delicious birthday cake.

This celebration provides an opportunity to gather and celebrate community and the rare opportunity perspective on the successful inner workings of an arts institution. From a crawling infant to a tumbling toddler, to now a child ready to take on the world, The Church has evolved, grown, and built its own living legacy in the heart of Sag Harbor. Here’s your opportunity to learn from the team that continues to make it all happen, and to demystify the typically opaque intrigues of arts administration. Following short introductions by each of the members of our team there will be a Q&A with the audience, where your questions will be welcomed and fielded by the appropriate member of the staff.

Hear from:  Samuel Havens, Workshop & Residency Manager; Joseph Jagos, Exhibition Coordinator; Johnnoy Johnson, Production Assistant; Madeline Maxfield, Visitor Engagement Associate; Casey Kleister Meyer, Operations Manager; Sheri Pasquarella, Executive Director; Ariel Ransom, Administrative Assistant; Kristen Santori, Programming and Communications Manager; and Whodi Warjeko, Event Assistant. Visit our About Us Page to learn more!

An extensive body of work that has been ongoing since 1997, The Infinity Series brings together compositions Armstrong has made through a unique process of photographing found images with a camera’s focusing ring set at infinity, rendering a completely new image that is extremely out of focus. Armstrong creates new worlds, hovering between real and fantasy, where things are just beyond our grasp. In this world, the viewer is unable to fully resolve the image. Armstrong believes that the “psyche momentarily derailed” by this is what frees the viewer to respond emotionally.

Welcome to the first Insight Sunday of the spring, Bill Armstrong! The acclaimed photographer invites you to join him as he discusses the process behind his book All A Blur: Photographs from the Infinity Series. In addition to speaking about his creative process, Armstrong will also lean-in to the process of editing and photo selection that goes into making a photography book – both highly intuitive processes to which the artist brings insight and wisdom. Following the discussion there will be a Q&A.

An extensive body of work that has been ongoing since 1997, The Infinity Series brings together compositions Armstrong has made through a unique process of photographing found images with a camera’s focusing ring set at infinity, rendering a completely new image that is extremely out of focus. Armstrong creates new worlds, hovering between real and fantasy, where things are just beyond our grasp. In this world, the viewer is unable to fully resolve the image. Armstrong believes that the “psyche momentarily derailed” by this is what frees the viewer to respond emotionally.

Martin Schoeller, esteemed and world renown contemporary portrait photographer joins us for a rare area appearance to delve into his life and process behind the lens. One of the ten photographers featured in our exhibition A Thousand Words: Photography at the New Yorker, Schoeller is an internationally renowned artist who began photographing for The New Yorker in 1998 and has contributed to magazines and campaigns around the world, including National Geographic, Vanity Fair, TIME, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone and GQ, among others. In June 2025, he was honored at the Lucie Awards for his Achievement in Portraiture.

Most known for his extreme close-up portraits, a series in which familiar faces are treated with the same scrutiny as the unfamous. The stylistic consistency of this work creates a democratic platform for comparison between his subjects, challenging a viewer’s existing notions of celebrity, value and honesty. This artist talk will explore his vast body of work, which captures both the humanity inherent in all of us and the imagination and playfulness of the human spirit. Other notable projects include his Colin Kaepernick image in Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. This image went along to win the prestigious D&AD Black Pencil and the Outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes. 

Join us for the rare opportunity to catch the in-demand and on-the-move photographer with an eye for honesty and learn from his experience and expertise.

Wake up your joints and stretch into Spring as Dina K returns to the Church! Join us as Dina K. guides us through some gentle joint work and stretches that promote good posture and mobility.

“We need to first establish a conscious awareness of how we embody our physical bodies,” says Dina. “When we take full responsibility for how we think and feel in our bodies we can then start working toward a healthier, more balanced existence. Taking action from that empowered state makes it much more likely to heal and transform our being.”

Please bring a yoga mat and water bottle and wear comfortable clothing.

 A heartfelt and special thank you to Dina for donating this program to The Church’s wellness program.

Our much-loved and highly anticipated annual Creativity Conference returns! Now in its fifth year, this full-day celebration of bold thinking in the arts and sciences brings together visionaries who are truly celebrated in their fields whose work has shaped conversations and expand the boundaries of creativity. Curated by April Gornik, this conference once again offers a rare opportunity to intimately learn and engage with remarkable thinkers and makers in one mind-expanding day! Join us for an unforgettable gathering of insight, inspiration, and creative exploration - don’t miss the chance to experience these extraordinary voices up close.

Our distinguished speakers are:

PAUL BINGHAM – Author & Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, SUNY Stony Brook
Speaking On: Uniquely Human Creativity Is An Evolved Property We Now Understand

HARRIETTE COLE – Award-winning lifestyle expert and advice columnist. Author of How to Be, former editor-in-chief at Ebony magazine, and recipient of the Women of Excellence Award
Speaking On: Making Confidence Your Superpower

TOM JUNOD – two-time National Magazine award-winning Esquire writer and journalist
Speaking On: The Secrets of Creativity: Secrets

GEORGE MAKARI – Historian, Psychiatrist, Best Selling Author, and Director of the DeWitt Wallace Institute of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell
Speaking On: Imagining Strangers: Xenophobia, Then and Now

SUSAN RUBIN – 30+ Year Math Education Veteran and Math Student Teacher supervisor at Columbia University
Speaking On: Bringing Creativity into the Math Classroom

SUSAN WHEELER – Multi-award-winning Poet, Princeton University Professor Emerita, and author of Record Palace, Assorted Poems, and Meme
Speaking On: Noodling and Ambition

From newsroom to jail. Andrew Visconti’s fascinating journey started in journalism and evolved into a memoir writing program for incarcerated individuals. Join us for this very special Knowledge Friday in which Visconti talks about the experience he gained working with inmates. Since 2023, he has led workshops that foster personal growth behind bars and uses storytelling to guide transformation among the incarcerated population.

April is National Second Chance Awareness Month, which aims to reduce recidivism and highlights the barriers to reintegration that formerly incarcerated individuals face. With this in mind, this program intends to shine a light on the power of support and community in the walk toward rehabilitative justice.

“It has to do with women, their sacrifices and strength, and of course politics!” says author and poet Philip Schultz of his latest book of poetry, Enormous Mornings. The Pulitzer Prize winning poet is joined in conversation with visual artist and The Church co-founder April Gornik, whose painting Light Bending the World is featured on the book’s cover. Sharing excerpts from the book and engaging in a delightful dialogue with Gornik, Schultz invites audiences to discover his new work and the inspirations behind it. Following the discussion there will be a Q&A.

This newest poetic publication is set to release March 10^th, 2026 by W.W. Norton. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and can be signed by the author after the talk. 

Join us as we close out Women’s History month with a poetic program that celebrates and explores the wisdom of women.

March 22nd Query: When should you trust your gut? (And when should you not?)

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.

Join Oliver Tobin, former dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company and curator of Martha Graham: Collaborations, in a movement workshop for adults inspired by Matha Graham’s seminal solo Lamentation. Open to all backgrounds and experience levels, the workshop introduces the expressive foundations of the Martha Graham Technique and explores storytelling through breath, shape, and movement. Working in a supportive and reflective environment, movers will explore themes of grief, containment, release, resilience, and transformation at the heart of Lamentation.

Presented in dialogue with the exhibition, this workshop invites physical exploration, reflection, and connection while honoring Graham’s belief in the body as a vessel for human experience and emotional truth.

Participants should dress comfortably and bring a water bottle. Socks or bare feet are recommended for movement. No additional materials are required.

Sag Harbor resident, Laura L. Rubin invites you to take a journey with her in our March Insight Sunday. Rubin will illuminate the creative process behind her soon to be published and highly anticipated book The Big Unlock: Liberate Your Creativity Through Mindful Journaling. How does a personal journaling practice lead to a career as a workshop builder? And how does that career then manifest as a path into the world of publishing? This very special Insight Sunday invites us to both learn about Rubin’s creativity and practice it: bring a notebook and a pen and get perspective into Rubin’s journaling approach with a few micro prompts. Rubin will share her experiences of listening to one’s authentic inner voice and having the courage to step into center-stage, and how Sag Harbor shaped her journey.

Copies of the book will be available for the first time to the public at the end of the discussion!

A special thank you to our collaborating community book sellers, Book Hampton, for joining us on this program.

Award-winning photographers and bestselling authors Ken Browar & Deborah Ory join us to discuss their stunning art book Martha Graham Dance Company: 100 Years, which captures the current company of Graham dancers in gorgeous, spirited action. The husband-and-wife team are joined by artist, writer, and former Chief Curator of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, Bonnie Rychlak. The longtime friends will discuss their unique histories, the spirit of collaboration, the curatorial process and more – sharing with the audience photographic stills from the beautiful book that celebrates the 100 years of the Company. Following the discussion there will be a spirited Q&A with the audience, followed by a book signing.

The esteemed photographic duo, with ties to the editorial world have been documenting Dancers. Ory, a former dancer, and Browar a renowned fashion and editorial photographer, come together with a unique eye for shape, line, and nuance. Together they are able to compile masterpieces that are shaped by their unique vision.

Before becoming the chief curator of Isamu Noguchi’s Museum, Rychlak served as his studio assistant. She is a recognized authority on Noguchi, having curated numerous exhibitions worldwide and authored the accompanying catalogues. No stranger to collaboration, Rychlak joins the conversation with a unique perspective on the selection process in the creation of an art book.

Programmed in tandem with our exhibition Martha Graham: Collaborations, this program explores the spirit of collaboration while continuing to celebrate the legacy of the Company.

A special thank you to our collaborating community book sellers, Book Hampton, for joining us on this program.

Breathe and reconnect to the pure intention of your heart with Céline Antoine, our March Wellness Monday leader and certified breathwork guide. In this intensive 90-minute Healing Breathwork class, participants will mindfully engage their breath using a potent technique called circular breath. Participants will be lying on the ground and must bring their own yoga mat and 1 to 2 blankets/throws/or beach towels for the practice.

This technique helps relieve stress and anxiety while releasing emotions stuck in the body. Healing Breathwork allows participants the opportunity to gain deep insights and experience profound breakthroughs and can often lead to a powerful and transformational experience that resonates in the body well after the session has ended.

In the words of Tich Naht Hanh, “breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness.”

This class is not recommended if you have heart problems, unmedicated high blood pressure, glaucoma or detached retina, or if you are pregnant.

Learn from expert, Oliver Tobin— former Teens@Graham Director and curator of Martha Graham: Collaborations – who invites teens with a love for movement to explore Graham’s 1929 choreographed work Heretic. This participatory workshop is open to teenagers of all dance backgrounds and experience levels.  Participants will be introduced to the Martha Graham Technique and explore embodied storytelling through movement in the main gallery, surrounded by the iconic history and legacy presented in the exhibition.

Programmed in tandem with the exhibition, this workshop celebrates International Women’s Day, Sunday, March 8^th. Join us in honoring Martha Graham, who devoted her life and body to the arts, sought power and liberation for women through dance, and, through collaboration, forged a legacy that transformed the landscape of contemporary dance.

Participants should dress comfortably and bring a water bottle. Socks or bare feet are recommended for movement. No other materials are needed.

This program is supported by the Friends of the Fund for Community & Education at The Church

Strike a pose and continue your celebration of International Women’s Day at our special March Knowledge Friday! – that explores the intersection of our current exhibition while also celebrating a creative community member of the South Fork. Join us for a sit down with Shelter Island’s own Margaret Garrett, a former dancer turned visual artist.

Knowledge Friday provides an intimate presentation by a community member who shares their knowledge and expertise with rare intimacy. For March, we’re exploring Garret’s special history with dance and then will turn the spotlight on a special Martha Graham Dance Company Project: The 19Poses. The audience is invited to learn a few of the poses, do the poses, and to own them in their own, powerful way!

Developed as part of The Eve Project, Martha Graham Dance Company’s celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the 19^th Amendment, The 19 Poses honors the suffragists and accentuates Martha Graham’s revolutionary representation of women onstage. Drawn from a curated selection of photographs of Graham in evocative poses, The 19 Poses were shared in this YouTube Video, starring the star of The Church’s Saturday dance performance, Xin Ying! The project also led to a memorable Insta-Graham challenge, which invited women everywhere to utilize the poses in their everyday life. Join us as we learn more about an incredible project that brought women together through movement and expression.

 This talk has been programmed in tandem with Martha Graham: Collaborations, on view January 18 – March 22 during our exhibition hours, Thursday through Monday from 11 AM – 5 PM.

February 22nd Query: How much is enough?

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.

Oliver Tobin, curator of Martha Graham: Collaborations, and Janet Eilber, Artistic Director of Martha Graham Dance Company, invite you to an intimate evening exploring the exhibition. Tobin and Eilber bring their insights of not only of the exhibition but also a unique, shared experience:  both Tobin and Eilber enjoyed long careers as dancers in the Martha Graham Dance Company, and the latter worked directly with the famed choreographer herself. Together, Tobin and Eilber will explore the depth of materials and histories embedded in the show with the added gusto and intrigue of their rare first-hand expertise with the subject matter. Following the discussion there will be a Q&A.

This program is a part of the exhibition programmed forMartha Graham: Collaborations,which is on view through March 22^nd during our normal exhibition hours.

WORD returns! Celebrate the written word as an art form in this recurring program that invites writers to share works that resonate with an anchoring theme. In its fifth iteration, WORD: Identity, presents a curated selection of writers, poets, and storytellers for an evening of presence and reflection as we meditate on the word “identity” and its many shapes and forms.

Curated by writer, educator and founding director of Hamptons Pride, Tom House, the program welcomes writers, Jeremy Dennis, Ariel Ransom, Christine Sampson, and Lora Tucker to the space to share their contemplations on Identity.

The reading will offer café table seating (limited tables available that seat four guests), and regular seating in rows behind the tables. Stop by our concessions ahead of the performance to purchase a drink or a snack and settle in for an evening of intellect, inquiry, and creativity.

No one does etching on the East End like Samuel Havens. The Church’s legendary Workshops & Residency Manager, in-house printmaker, artist, and overall renaissance man leads the first Insight Sunday of the year and invites you to gain insight into his process by witnessing it in action! Join Havens, as he presents a live demonstration print of his copper etching Dusk Haze. Using a mobile printing press and sharing the process on the big screen, Havens will walk us through the process step-by-step, illuminating the intricacies of the craft and his unique approach. Following the demonstration Havens will field questions from the audience in a thoughtful Q&A.

Lose yourself to the music and the movement with Kveta “Kiki” Hajkova, our first Wellness Monday leader of the year! Using movement as a healing modality, Hajkova invites participants to immerse themselves in a liberating, free-form dance program and to dance “until they disappear.” Tapping into the spiritual and working to release emotions trapped in the body, use music and movement to cultivate the transformative energy force within. No prior dance experience necessary; this program is designed for all skill levels.

Participants should dress comfortably and bring their own water bottle. Participants should also bring their own yoga mat, blanket, or cushion to use to ground in the space before and after dancing. Chairs will be provided for those who are unable to sit on the ground.

Join award-winning artist & performer mayfield brooks for an interactive presentation of dArK oXyGen, a sonic dance installation that explores the decomposed dances and choreographies of breath. In reference to the recent discovery of oxygen production in the deep ocean where sunlight cannot penetrate, dArK oXyGen examines the idea of entering darkness as a generative process, inspired by memories from brooks’ childhood of singing Black gospel music, primordial ocean myths, decomposed whales or whale falls, and dances that rely on breath to move the body and      voice. Our audience can expect a passive yet immersive experience, bringing them into a sense of depth and submersion that examines how cycles of light and dark, life and death, are always entwined.

This program is supported by the Friends of the Fund for Community & Education at The Church

Are you familiar with the century old technique and the highly artisanal craft of hand bookbinding? Learn from Paul Vogel! Our first Knowledge Friday of the year welcomes the seasoned artisan to discuss the craft, the history of the book, and his own origin story as a book binder. From traditional binding to custom made pieces, the East Hampton shop owner has dedicated more than 40 years to the technique. Following the discussion, Vogel invites the audience to learn the figure eight stitch and create their very own take-home hand-bound booklet!

February 1st Query: What are you waiting for?

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.

A warm welcome to Lindsay Morris! Peer into the mind and creative process of the esteemed photographer as she discusses her project The Kids of Camp I Am, a follow-up documentation about Camp I Am, a weekend camp for gender-creative children and their families. This update, featured in The New York Times Magazine, will explore new photos and writing from former attendees of the camp who are now young adults. Sharing excerpts from these essays, Morris invites The Church audience to continue the dialogue about how non-judgmental environments can provide life-changing support and pave a road free of judgment, welcoming of a wide-range of gender expressions. Following the presentation, there will be a meaningful Q&A with the photographer.

This project was a 2025 recipient of the New York State Council for the Arts Artist Grant, as supported through The Church.

A regular contributor to The New York Times, a 2023 TED Speaker, producer of the 2016 BBC documentary My Transgender Summer Camp, and publisher of You are You, a monograph about Camp I Am, Morris offers an invaluable insight to aspiring photographers drawn to advocacy and support.

Please Note this is not a The Church program. This program is presented by Express Newsgroup and hosted at The Church.

As Sag Harbor's business district continues to evolve a public conversation is being planned to examine what these changes will mean.

As Sag Harbor's business district continues to evolve at a breakneck pace - with multiple longtime establishments sold, listed for sale, or rumored to be on the market - a public conversation is being planned to examine what these changes mean for the village's future. This forum will bring together a panel of local stakeholders to discuss recent and proposed property transactions, redevelopment pressures, and efforts to preserve space for independent, mom-and-pop businesses. Topics are expected to include high-profile properties such as 2 Main Street, the former 7-Eleven site and The Corner Bar, and broader concerns about long-term trajectory of Main Street.

This Express Sessions event will change up the normal structure of Express Sessions by starting at 4:30 p.m. and not including lunch. In lieu of lunch, an hour of wine-and-cheese networking will be held following the panel discussion.

The ticket price structure is as follows: Tickets for subscribers to 27east.com, The Sag Harbor Express or The Southampton Press are $10. The nonsubscriber ticket price is $64 and includes an annual subscription to both 27east.com and your choice of The Sag Harbor Express or The Southampton Press delivered to your home weekly.

Any questions can be addressed to sessions@expressnewsgroup.com or by calling 631-725-1700 and asking for Ellen M-F 10am to 4 p.m.

December 29th Query: Why are you here?

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.

Peter Solow joins us for our final Insight Sunday of the year. An esteemed visual artist in both oil painting and drawing, Solow is also a beloved educator of the East End. Join the pedagogue for an inspiring discussion that takes a deep dive into his work Piazza Signoria, which is included in our exhibition Here & There: The First Churchennial.  

Hear how “the act and process of drawing [is] a creative, transformative, experience,” and how those ideas about the art making process are at the heart of Solow’s work. The discussion will then open to a thoughtful Q&A with the audience.

Piazza Signoria, which is part of a larger body of work known as A Field Guide to Florence, is one of the largest works in our exhibition. It can be seen during our exhibition hours, Thursday – Monday, 11 AM – 5 PM, up on our mezzanine level.

Witness the development of a new performance by artist & choreographer Matty Davis. Planned as the culmination of his residency, Davis will host an Open Rehearsal of a newly developed in-progress work, inviting the community to observe his choreographic process throughout its early stages.

Matty Davis is an artist and choreographer based in New York City. His work uses choreography as an instrument to cultivate high-stakes relationships—ranging from the interpersonal to the cosmic—that push himself, his collaborators, and his audiences to face and explore forces that drive some of the most important parts of our lives, such as trust, love, and responsibility. Marked by full-throttle physicality and inventive movement vocabularies, his performances have been described as “balancing ecstatically on the edge of life and death” (Jesse Zaritt).