Previous
Previous
Concerts & Performances
Next
Next
In a world saturated with technology, Jamie Diamond invites viewers to explore the evolving nature of relationships in her short film Skin Hunger. Join us at The Church for a screening of the film and a follow-up discussion and Q&A with the Creator Jamie Diamond, Director of Photography Matt Cianfrani, producers Amy Lawday and Abby Russel, and touch practitioner and subject of the film: Ella.
Peering into the epidemic of loneliness and the service economies that have emerged in response to the growing need surrounding touch, intimacy, Skin Hunger explores the emergence of a new kind of service: the renting of people for nonsexual touch, a.k.a. cuddling.
The 26-minute short film introduces viewers to Steven, a handsome, affable 60-year-old man who lives alone in Coney Island. He’s a film buff and, each day, he travels to Times Square for work where he is surrounded by people. But, inside, he is suffocating from loneliness and a yearning to be touched — or “skin hunger.” He contacts Ella, New York City’s leading touch practitioner, and embarks on a wild journey of discovery. “Skin Hunger” spotlights the phenomenon of paying for platonic touch, and its rapidly growing community which seeks to share the mental and physical restorative benefits of touch with the rest of the world.
This screening has been program in tandem with our Fall exhibition Here & There: The First Churchennial. Learn more about the show by visiting our exhibition page here.
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).
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.