Southampton Arts Center’s Latest Exhibition To Center On Activism And Conservation

Just in time for Earth Day, Southampton Arts Center (SAC) will celebrate an amazing assemblage of artists who utilize their expertise to shine a spotlight on environmental conservation and activism through EARTH – Artists as Activists. The exhibition will debut on Saturday, April 17.

“This exhibition had been planned for spring of 2020 in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but forced closures from the pandemic halted those plans,” said former SAC artistic director Amy Kirwin, who curated EARTH. “The timely subject matter isn’t confined to an anniversary, so it was an easy decision to reschedule to this spring.”

EARTH – Artists as Activists will be complimented by a myriad of programming such as artist workshops, film screenings, panel discussions with experts from SAC’s newly formed ECO Community Group, and much more.

“Southampton Arts Center’s long-term commitment to the environment is beautifully reflected in this exhibition,” expressed SAC executive director Tom Dunn. “EARTH is more than art – it is conservation and activism through individual artistic expression.”

The creators express their ideas through a range of artistic expressions, like fine art, science, photography, film, music, and prose. EARTH – Artists as Activists artists include Roisin Bateman, Scott Bluedorn, Kristian Brevik, Megan Chaskey, Erica Cirino, Rossa Cole, Janet Culbertson, Tom Deininger, Alejandro Duran, Jim Gingerich, Mamoun Friedrich Grosvenor, John Haigney, Kara Hoblin, Michael Light, Pamela Longobardi, Giada and Alexi Lubomirski, Christa Maiwald, Tucker Marder, Janine Martel, Steve Miller, Patricia Paladines, Anne Sherwood Pundyk, Aurora Robson, Cindy Pease Roe, Lauren Ruiz, Anne Seelbach, Jonathan Shlafer, Kathryn Szoka, and Diane Tuft, as well as a special project by the South Fork Natural History Young Environmentalists program.

“Collaborations with both artists of multiple disciplines and our ECO Community Group partners have resulted in a meaningful, inclusive exhibition that highlights our shared environment and the challenges it faces,” Dunn said. “No one is immune to what affects our planet. This is truly an exhibition with an impact.”

For the exhibition and programming, SAC collaborated with Cornell Cooperative Marine Extension Program, Drawdown East End, Group for the East End, Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons, Musings, Oceana, Peconic Land Trust, Peconic Baykeeper, Perfect Earth Project, Peter Matthiessen Center, Quogue Wildlife Refuge, Safina Center, South Fork Natural History Museum, Southampton Village Environmental Council, Shinnecock Nation/Blossom Sustainable Development, Surfrider Foundation Eastern Long Island Chapter, and more.

EARTH virtual programming, which was created by Daniela Kronemeyer, will include Dark Skies Week: Moths of Long Island, presented in partnership with Group for the East End, on Thursday, April 8 at 6:30 p.m., Introduction to Sustainable Solutions with Olivia Kronemeyer on Wednesday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m., Ecological Gardening 101, presented in partnership with Group for the East End, on Wednesday, May 5 at 6:00 p.m., Magical Migrating Monarchs, presented in partnership with Group for the East End and Quogue Wildlife Refuge, on Wednesday, May 12 at 6:00 p.m., Plastics with Erica Cirino, Cindy Pease Roe, and more on Wednesday, May 19 at 6:00 p.m., Kids: “Be A Good Egg” Shorebird Conservation Part I, presented partnership with Group for the East End, on Wednesday, June 2 at 6:00 p.m., The Artist’s View – Contrasting Expressions of Nature, presented in partnership with Peconic Land Trust, with artists Scott Bluedorn, Anne Sherwood Pundyk, and Cindy Pease Roe, and moderator Kathryn Szoka on Wednesday, June 16 at 6:00 p.m., and Birding: A Female Perspective with Hob Osterlund, Melissa Groo, and more on Wednesday, June 30 at 6:00 p.m.

As for in-person events, Kids: “Be A Good Egg” Shorebird Conservation Part II, presented with Group for the East End, will be held on Saturday, June 5 at 11:00 a.m. Daniel Lauter will lead an Earth Sound Meditation on Saturday April 24, Saturday, May 29, and Saturday, June 26 at 10:30 a.m. Additionally, LIVE programming, also created by Daniela Kronemeyer, will feature Art and Environmental Action with The Safina Center, featuring Carl Safina, Patricia Paladines, Erica Cirino, and more, on Thursday, June 17 at 6:00 p.m. and Organic Gardening + Landscaping, featuring Taralynn Reynolds of Group for the East End, Anthony Marinello of Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons, and Edwina von Gal of Perfect Earth Project, on Sunday, July 11 at 4:00 p.m.

“The incredible artists, writers, poets, scientists, and conservationists featured in EARTH dedicate their lives and their practices to shining a light on the tenuous state of our planet and its inhabitants,” added Kirwin. “The exhibition will be shockingly powerful while at the same time incredibly beautiful, but most importantly it will educate and inspire.”

EARTH – Artists as Activists will be on view through Sunday, July 11. The exhibition is free, but a suggested $5 donation is appreciated.

Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. For more information, visit southamptonartscenter.org.