Parrish Art Museum Hosting People’s State Of The Union Story Circle

On Friday, January 27th, members of our East End community are invited to assemble at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill to share their thoughts on the prospect of democracy as a conversation, not a monologue. The free event is part of the 2017 People’s State of the Union Story Circle and is open to those 15-years-old and older.

“The Story Circle aims to create a space for sharing and listening and to bring together our communities at the Parrish,” explained Corinne Erni, Curator of Special Projects at the Parrish. “It is open to everyone who cares about the condition of our nation and wants to have a voice, and we encourage all members of the community to participate.”

Taking place in the Lichtenstein Theater, attendees will be placed in a small circle of about eight people where they will share stories and discuss topics in a dialogue facilitated by a moderator.

At the end of the event, after the intimate conversation circles, stories and images from the groups will be uploaded to an online platform and the Parrish will compile works of poetry from local poets. The results will be showcased on Friday, April 7th at the Museum.

“U.S. Department of Arts and Culture” (USDAC), an artists’ collective that is in no way affiliated with the federal government, founded The People’s State of the Union Story Circle as an invitation for the nation to supplement the President’s State of the Union Address with gatherings where they can converse about their own stance on the state of our union. The USDAC calls themself “a people-powered movement dedicated to cultivating empathy, equity, and social imagination.” Nationwide Story Circles will be held in between Friday, January 27th and Sunday, February 5th.

The event begins at 6 p.m. Admission is free, but registration is required.

Parrish Art Museum is located at 279 Montauk Highway in Water Mill. For more information or to register, call 631-283-2118 or visit parrishart.org.