Join author Mary Dinaburg and illustrator Russell Maltz for a lively discussion on the making of The Sculpture and the Lawnmower Adventure or Why I Am Afraid of Lawnmowers. Based on a true incident that occurred right here in Bridgehampton, this charming and poignant book is narrated by the sculpture itself, offering a unique and heartfelt perspective. Through humor and imagination, the story explores themes of acceptance, resilience, and love. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes conversation about how a local event inspired a creative collaboration and an unforgettable tale.

Betty Friedan one of four subjects of David Denby’s group biography, “Eminent Jews: Bernstein, Brooks, Friedan, Mailer,” was one of the most rewarding to write about. Denby will trace her career from her unhappy girlhood, though her years at Smith and Berkeley, her time as a journalist in New York, working for trade union and then women’s magazines; the composition of her great book, “The Feminine Mystique”; her brilliant years after that as an organizer, and then her long, slow decline. Friedan was a heroine with all the flaws of blindness and arrogance that often come with extraordinary will. She began coming to the Hamptons after her marriage broke up, renting houses with groups of friends, and, at the end of her life, she owned a house in Sag Harbor, a town she adored. She remained politically active until her death, living a glorious, flawed life. Presented in partnership with Canio’s.

David Denby was born in New York in 1943 and was educated at Columbia College, the Columbia School of Journalism, and Stanford. He was movie critic for “The Atlantic” (1970-73), “The Boston Phoenix” (1976-78), “New York” magazine (1978-98), and “The New Yorker” (1998-2014). His articles and reviews have appeared in “The New Republic” and the “London Review of Books.” His books include “Great Books,” “American Sucker,” “Lit Up,” and currently, “Eminent Jews: Bernstein, Brooks, Friedan, Mailer.” He lives in New York with his wife, novelist Susan Rieger. Recent pieces for the “New Yorker” include an article on the career of comic genius Sid Caesar and an essay on Paul Thomas Anderson, director of “One Battle After Another” and other movies.

The above photo of Betty Frieday is (c) Sophie Bassouls, Sygma, Getty Images

Sum (숨) is a hands-on textile workshop led by multidisciplinary artist Jun Yang. Participants will create soft sculptures and mini pillow-like forms through simple sewing and stuffing techniques, exploring how fabric, touch, and form can carry memory and emotion. Inspired by experiences of loss and loneliness, as well as a desire to honor family legacies and preserve personal histories, this workshop approaches art-making as a therapeutic act of creating. Participants are invited to explore softness as a form of resilience while crafting tactile objects that hold memories, care, and belonging. The focus is not on producing visually perfect objects, but on the act of making itself—an intimate process of reflection, healing, and connection. Through slow, hands-on creation, the workshop becomes a space for collective care, where creativity transforms into a quiet revolution of healing and shared joy.  SUM (숨) (means breathing in Korean) This program is co-sponsored with Ma’s House.

Susan Engel’s new book, American Kindergarten: Dispatches From the First Year of School tells the stories of 15 kindergarten classrooms, spread across the country. She describes the six promises classrooms make to their children, as well as the different ways teachers keep and sometimes break those promises. She’ll talk about why she undertook this multi-year project, what surprised her along the way, and what people often don’t know about five-year-old children. 

Class 1. Letter forms and found objects will be used to stamp print onto a large piece of paper which will serve as a portfolio for all the prints you create during the course.

Class 2. We will use a variety of surfaces and the process of rubbing to create a self-portrait image.

Class 3. Stencils will be cut from card stock, and you will stencil a design using paint and stencil brushes.

Class 4. Monoprinting is a process of painting on a piece of plexiglass, laying your paper on top, rubbing and lifting to produce print. Numerous prints can be made from the same plate.

Learn about these printmaking processes. Experiment and discover the excitement of printmaking and enjoy working in a class with others to see the varied results that can be achieved.

With a rich artistic history on the East End, this evening at The Bridgehampton Museum shines a light on the talent of local writers. The event showcases a variety of voices reading their short personal essays, exploring how we define ourselves, our values, our strengths and weaknesses. Sharing the first-person human condition brings us together, with humor, with heartbreak, and with a goal of mutual understanding.

The event is curated by Hamptons writer Heather Buchanan. Her column Kiss & Tell was recently awarded Best Print Humor Column in the country by the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Buchanan has also won awards from the Press Club of Long Island and the National Federation of Press Women. Previous spoken word events she has produced have been sell outs such as at Bay Street Theater and The Church in Sag Harbor and Greenwich Village.

Author Lenny Ackerman will be at the Bridgehampton Museum for a talk on his book Leibisch’s Journey. Ackerman will discuss his father’s remarkable story, tracing a life shaped by determination, displacement, and hope. Through conversation and reading, the evening offers insight into a deeply personal journey and the broader human experience it reflects. Join us at the Nathaniel Rogers House or live via Zoom to enjoy this talk.

Description Learn the ancient technique of encaustic painting which dates to the Greeks. Students will be led by teacher and artist Bonnie Rychlak to learn the basics of this ancient craft that involves using hot wax and pigments to create something of a mixture between painting and sculpting. Through demonstrations, discussion and exploration, students will discover its endless possibilities for making art.

There is a class size limit of 10 students and students will be expected to come to all five classes. All materials will be supplied for this class.

From the 18th century onwards, dramatic numbers of Irish citizens emigrated to the U.S., often to escape religious persecution and economic hardship. They left the comfort and support of family, friends, and loved ones to arrive in an America that often regarded the Irish as incompatible with American ideals. We will take a fascinating multimedia look at the history and culture of the Irish of New York from their immigrant beginnings to the present day. Their journey of hope is reflected in the shared experiences of immigrants from around the world coming to America.

Following an old established tradition this workshop will use the nude figure with instruction from Bruce Lieberman. The workshop will address fundamental, basic exercises that develop skills and introduce figure drawing techniques in various mediums. Each individual participant will be guided based on their experience and strengths. The critical and aesthetic understanding of a drawing is the foundation for developing a distinct personal artistic vision. A vision shaped by individuality and diversity of expression. Students are asked to bring all their own supplies and drawing mediums such as charcoal, conte, or graphite are requested. A material list will be supplied upon registration. Classes will be limited to 10 students per class. RSVPs are required.

Instructor’s Background

Beginning his career as a figurative painter in New York City in the early ’80s, Lieberman had his first solo show of narrative paintings at the Pene Du Bois Gallery in the East Village. Although he has rarely given workshops, he has over 40 years of teaching experience, most recently at Stony Brook University, where he taught figure drawing and painting. Lieberman has lived full-time in Water Mill for over 40 years, which made him especially eager to teach here at the Museum.

His work is in numerous museums and private collections and critical reviews and commentaries have appeared in books, newspapers, journals, and magazines, including The New York Times, Newsday, and The Huffington Post. Since the early ’80s, he has been exhibiting in many NY and Long Island Museums and Galleries. Including the Parrish Art Museum, Guild Hall and most of the galleries on the East End of Long Island. Most recently, his work was exhibited at the Center for Figurative Painting in New York and the Nassau County Museum of Art.

Join Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt for a moderately paced 3-mile hike through oak/hickory forest with views of Crooked Pond, Long Pond and Deer Drink. With a donation from Truman Capote and Jack Dunphy, The Nature Conservancy preserved the land around Crooked Pond, a rare coastal plain pond in the Long Pond Greenbelt. Leader: Doreen Johnston, 516-994-5947. This is a Co-Sponsored event with The Bridgehampton Museum and the Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt.

Description Learn the ancient technique of encaustic painting which dates to the Greeks. Students will be led by teacher and artist Bonnie Rychlak to learn the basics of this ancient craft that involves using hot wax and pigments to create something of a mixture between painting and sculpting. Through demonstrations, discussion and exploration, students will discover its endless possibilities for making art.

There is a class size limit of 10 students and students will be expected to come to all five classes. All materials will be supplied for this class.