THE WEIGHT OF WATER:
Conversations around Artivism, Education, and Policy
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The Weight of Water is the title of a site-specific work by Christine Sciulli, currently on view as part of our exhibition, Space – Sight – Line. Join us as Sciulli uses the discussion of the work to present a public dialogue that explores the work’s themes and inspiration, dealing notably with race, the history of slavery on the East End, and its pernicious wake. The Conversation includes presentations by Meghan McGinley, Director of Education at Sag Harbor Cinema, in addition to local educators, Carrie Clark and Cara Nelson, and New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. Senator Sanders will make a special appearance via Zoom to share his work on reparations. A Q&A with all participants will follow the discussion. |
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Of this event, Sciulli has said:
“My recent efforts to combine artistic practice with my passion for social justice have led me to create The Weight of Water. This program invites our East End community into a space of reflection and discussion with educators and policymakers. I am hoping conversations will grow outward into the community. I believe that Reparative Education is imperative to build a better and more equitable future”
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The Audience will have a first-hand look at how education connects to policy, how children process revised and relevant history, and how families and the community at large may learn to generate an informed and engaged electorate who can together move the needle of social justice – “not just at the voting booth,” notes Sciulli, “but by taking on civic engagement in the roles of activists, advocates, lawyers, and representatives to create a full potential future for all New Yorkers.”
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CARRIE CLARK
Carrie Clark first joined the Ross School faculty in 1999 as a Cultural History teacher for its first junior class (Class of 2001). She now serves as the Dean of Cultural History and the Grade 11 team leader. She has led and facilitated multiple workshops on Ross curriculum and pedagogy on and off campus, in the United States, and abroad. She loves working with high school students, and in 2003 she received the Courtney Sale Ross Teacher of the Year Award. Carrie earned her B.A. in history from UCLA and her MA at SUNY Stony Brook. Prior to teaching at Ross, she worked as a master teacher and curriculum specialist while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger and Belize, and as an instructor at Southampton College and SUNY Stony Brook.
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MEGHAN MCGINLEY
Meghan McGinley is the Director of Education at Sag Harbor Cinema. She is the former Project Manager of the “Forgetting to Remember” collaboration between Sag Harbor Cinema and the Plain Sight Project, funded by a 200,000 grant through the U.S. Department of Education, and is an ongoing volunteer for the Plain Sight Project. In addition to her community work, McGinley is earning a doctorate in French Studies with a specialization in film at Vanderbilt University.
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SENATOR JAMES SANDERS JR.
Currently in his 6th term, New York State Senator James Sanders Jr. was elected by the people of the 10th senatorial district to the New York State Senate on September 13, 2012. A fiercely devoted public servant, community advocate, Marine Veteran, and family man, Sanders’ life is defined by his work to uplift others. The actions he has taken over the course of his career emphasizes the importance of promoting education, innovation, working-class families, and economic development throughout New York.
Senator Sanders has risen to become the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banks and heads the Senate Task Force on Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise (MWBE). He is a member of the Committees for Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business; Insurance, Labor, Procurement and Contracts; Racing, Gaming and Wagering; and Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs.
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CHRISTINE SCIULLI
Christine Sciulli, a visual artist based in NYC and Amagansett, has created immersive light installations in North American and European galleries, museums, and festivals including the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Center for International Light Art, Cologne’s MAKK, Guild Hall, Parrish Art Museum and Smack Mellon Gallery. Her lighting design for the Samsung Rodin Pavilion in Seoul, South Korea won an IALD Award of Merit. Sciulli’s practice extends to community activism, producing Jeffrey Colvin’s “Present Tense: Black Lives Matter(ed)”, co-creating the female empowerment project “Battle of the Fantasy Girl Bands” and voter advocacy outreach “Chase the Erase” funded by The Center for Artistic Activism, as well as “Project Project Vote.” She holds an MFA from Hunter College and a Bachelor of Architectural Engineering from Penn State. A studio instructor in Lighting at Parsons School of Design, Sciulli is currently pursuing graduate studies in Social Work at NYU.
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(View the events calendar here) The Church was established in 2019 by artists Eric Fischl and April Gornik. Housed in a deconsecrated 19th-century church, its doors were opened in April 2021. Our mission is to foster creativity and to honor the living history of Sag Harbor as a maker village. The East End represents an exceptional artistic legacy, spanning the practices of Indigenous art of several centuries ago, Abstract Expressionists of the mid 20th Century, and the many celebrated writers, makers, musicians, and visual artists of the recent past and current moment. Core programming includes visual art exhibitions, concerts and events, educational programming, workshops, lectures, and an artist’s residency.
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The Church
48 Madison Street
Sag Harbor, NY 11963
www.thechurchsagharbor.org
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Space – Sight – Line installation
of The Weight of Water, Photo By Joe Jagos
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AAQ / Resource: Kolb | Heating + Cooling
North Fork | South Fork | Shelter Island
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AAQ / Resource: Riverhead Bay Motors
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