Even in times when rain is plentiful, a very strong case could be made against cultivating and maintaining the kind of perpetually thirsty and pesticide laden lush green lawns that are the pride of suburban subdivision residents and sprawling estate owners alike.
But At Quaquanantuck won’t be making that case in this post, focusing instead on the recent drought-driven plea from the Suffolk County Water Authority for homeowners to refrain from watering their lawns in the hours between midnight and 6 a.m. in order to ensure that there will be sufficient water, and pressure, for such essential uses as putting out fires.
It is hoped that all Southampton Town residents will heed this plea and go at least one step further and limit lawn watering to one or two days a week. Or temporarily suspend lawn watering altogether. After all, even the most burned out lawns will recover; they always do. Let brown grass be a new badge of civic responsibility, one small step toward facing up to climate change. It has to start somewhere.
Big Weekend for Historical Society: “Celebrate Art!” Party and Saturday Art Show
If it’s the beginning of August, it must be time for the Quogue Historical Society’s one-two fundraising punch: the “Celebrate Art!” cocktail party with guest speaker on Friday, August 12, followed by the Annual Art Show & Sale on Saturday, August 13.
Friday’s “Celebrate Art!” cocktails and hors d’oeuvres party on the Village Green runs from 5 to 7 p.m. Speaking at 5:30 p.m. on the topic of “Long Island Artists: Nationally Recognized Modernists You’ll Want to Know” will be Karli Wurzelbacher, Ph.D., curator at the Heckscher Museum of Art.
Tickets to the “Celebrate Art!” party start at $60 per person, with patron tickets priced at $100. All tickets sold at the door will be $100. To purchase tickets in advance or make a donation to the Quogue Historical Society, click here or visit www.quoguehistory.org and click on Support.
The Annual Art Show & Sale is the largest QHS fundraiser of the year. Held rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Village Green, this year’s Art Show will feature more than 30 artists exhibiting works ranging from oils and pastels to photographs and textiles. Suggested donation is $5 per person. All proceeds benefit the Historical Society’s new and ongoing programs.
Great Decisions Looks at “Renewed Climate Change Agenda”
With even some recalcitrant senators finally conceding the need for action, the next Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions Discussion program on Saturday, August 13, at 5 p.m. will focus on a topic very much in the news these days, “The Renewed Climate Change Agenda.” In an effort to provide the broadest possible access, the August 13 program will be hybrid and can be joined virtually by Zoom or attended in person at the Quogue Library.
Refreshments will be served. Virtual and in-person participants will view a video presentation on the topic before joining or listening to a live, 40-minute participant discussion moderated by David Rowe and facilitated by Susan Perkins.
The ideological divide in the United States on the subject of climate change has impeded progress in curbing greenhouse emissions and developing alternative energy sources. But extreme weather events at both ends of the thermometer have focused attention on the consequences of inaction. What role will the United States play in future negotiations on climate?
To register for the August 13 program, in-person or Zoom, click here, or visit www.quogue.libraryevents.com and click on the Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions entry on August 13.
The 2022 Great Decisions Briefing Book may be purchased ($22) at the Quogue Library or digitally from fpa.org. Visit the FPA website here to join and receive notices of events and information about Great Decisions and other programs.
Next up in the Quogue Association’s ongoing celebration of summer will be the 2022 edition of the big blowout beach party, slated this year on Saturday, August 20, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Quogue Village Beach. Rain date is Saturday, August 27.
This summer’s party will feature traditional delectable fare of chicken tenders, hamburgers, hot dogs, and salads, catered for this edition by the fine folks at the Quogue Country Market. Beverages included in the price of admission are beer, wine, lemonade and water.
There will once again be a bonfire on the beach; new this year will be an ice cream truck and a steel pan musician. Cost is $30 per person; $15 for kids 5 to 10; free for children under 5. The first 75 revelers to arrive will receive complimentary Quogue Association coffee tumblers.
Riding High on “Chicago,” QJTT Readies High Dive for “Little Mermaid”
At Quaquanantuck was delightfully knocked out by last week’s production of “Chicago Teen Version” featuring the older cast of the Quogue Junior Theater Troupe.
Congratulations to director and choreographer Micky Nugent and musical director Chris McKee for pulling together a beautiful show that brought out the best in all the performers, backstage crew and tech personnel, and more than did justice to one of the greatest musicals of all time.
A special shout out here to the very talented and spirited—and seamlessly tight-knit—ensemble, every one of whom brought wonderful life and energy to one outstanding production number after another.
Fresh on the heels of the boffo run of “Chicago,” the Quogue Junior Theater Troupe younger cast is getting ready for the opening of “The Little Mermaid” on Tuesday, August 23. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. on August 23, 24 and 25, and at 5 p.m. for the final performance on Friday, August 26.
For tickets to the younger cast production of “The Little Mermaid,” running August 23 through August 26, click here, or visit https://qjtt.org.
For more information, email boxoffice@qjttonline.org or call 631-996-9392.
Boys and girls rehearsing different numbers for the QJTT production of “The Little Mermaid,” opening September 23 at the Quogue Community Hall. —Melissa Ryder Photos
Irreverent Lanford Wilson Comedy at HTC Benefit August 20
The Hampton Theatre Company will host a benefit cocktail party with live entertainment on Saturday, August 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at a private venue in Quogue.
Performers who are well known to HTC audiences will present “Abstinence” by Lanford Wilson, an irreverent, 15-minute, contemporary comedy during the benefit. The musical backdrop for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from Joan Toohig will be provided by the QJ3 (Quogue Jazz Trio), with the presentation of “Abstinence” scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Tickets to the benefit start at $150 per person, with Silver Sponsor tickets $350 and Gold Sponsor tickets $500. Silver Sponsors receive a listing in the program, priority seating, and a backstage tour of the HTC fall production. Gold sponsors receive a dinner with members of the company in the fall in addition to the Silver Sponsor benefits. Tickets for under 30 are $100. Rain date is Sunday, August 21. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
Tickets and more information available online at www.hamptontheatre.org; email info@hamptontheatre.org or call (631) 653-8955.
Birds of Prey Today at QWR; Storybook Reading Friday
There might still be room for adults and families with children age 6 and up to attend the Live Birds of Prey program at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge today, Thursday, August 11, at 3 p.m.
During the 45-minute presentation, visitors will meet some of the resident raptors at the Refuge and learn about native Long Island species—their diets, habitat, and physical adaptations that make them such successful hunters—as well as ways to help protect them.
Visitors are asked to arrive early and get settled prior to the start of the presentation. Cost is $10 per person; $5 per child under 10. Reservations and pre-payment required; click here and scroll to August 11, or call 631-653-4771 for more information.
A Storybook Reading and Meet the Author event is coming up at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 12, at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge, when author Nancy Littlefield will read her charming children’s story, “Mariposa’s Wish,” about a monarch butterfly who wishes to go on a journey.
For more information about the book, visit mariposaswish.com. To register, call the QWR at 631-653-4771.
A signed copy of the book will be gifted to each child who pre-registers for this free program inside the Nature Center at the Refuge offered in collaboration with the Quogue Library. The program is part of an important initiative generously sponsored by the Leo S. Walsh Foundation. For further information, call 631-653-4771 or e-mail: info@QuogueWildlifeRefuge.org.
Vikram Malhotra Up Next in Library’s Author Series
The summer Author Series at the Quogue Library resumes on Sunday, August 14, at 5 p.m. when Vikram Malhotra, co-author of “CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest,” comes to the library for a conversation with series host Andrew Botsford.
A New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, “CEO Excellence” is described by publisher Simon & Schuster as “an insight-packed, revelatory look at how the best CEOs do their jobs based on extensive interviews with today’s most successful corporate leaders—including chiefs at Netflix, JPMorgan Chase, General Motors, and Sony.
“Being a CEO at any of the world’s largest companies is among the most challenging roles in business. Billions, and even trillions, are at stake—and the fates of tens of thousands of employees often hang in the balance. Yet, even when “can’t miss” high-achievers win the top job, very few excel. Thirty percent of Fortune 500 CEOs last fewer than three years, and two out of five new CEOs are perceived to be failing within eighteen months.
“For those who shoulder the burden of being the one on whom everyone counts, a manual for excellence is sorely needed.”
Beyond its status as a manual for excellence for CEOs, this book has immeasurable value for anyone interested in being a better leader.
On August 21, the guest author will be Elena Gorokhova, author of “A Train to Moscow.” In post–World War II Russia, a girl must reconcile a tragic past with her hope for the future in a powerful and poignant novel about family secrets, passion and loss, perseverance and ambition.
A critic for the Portland Book Review wrote: “‘A Train to Moscow’ is Elena Gorokhova’s first novel. It’s poignant and masterful, beautifully and intricately laced with imagery, intrigue, and emotion. Sasha’s passion for theatre and a better life, one free of the lies her family has held onto, is palpable.
“The storyline is riveting, corkscrewing into an array of twists and turns. Despite being fictional, the contents are reflective of the cultural and political environment of post-Revolutionary Russia.”
The final installment of this summer’s series will feature Adele Myers, author of “The Tobacco Wives” on August 28.
As a reviewer from Bookreporter observed: “Adele Myers has constructed a disturbing, realistic view of the once-mighty tobacco industry and its perfidies as observed by a feisty lady.”
Offered on Sundays at 5 p.m., this summer’s in-person series under the tent typically features a reading by a guest author followed by a conversation with writer and editor Andrew Botsford before the author fields questions from the audience. Tickets are $25 and registration is online at quoguelibrary.org, by calling 631-653-4224, or in-person at the library at 90 Quogue Street. More information on all library events and programs at quoguelibrary.org.
Final Films in PAC Summer Series
Courtesy of gifted curator Allison Frost, the parade of top notch films continues in the “Tuesday Night at the Movies with Andrew” summer series at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center. To find out more and buy tickets online, visit www.whbpac.org and click on Films.
Coming up next Tuesday, August 16, at 7:30 p.m. the PAC will screen the compelling documentary “Daughter of a Lost Bird.” Sociologist Susan Toliver will join Andrew to discuss this film after the screening on Tuesday.
“Lost birds” is a term used to describe Native children adopted out of their tribal communities. Right after the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 became law, Kendra Mylnechuk Potter was adopted into a white family and raised with no knowledge of her Native parentage. This beautiful and intimate film follows Kendra on her journey to find her birth mother April, also a Native adoptee, and return to her Lummi homelands in Washington State.
With a sensitive yet unflinching lens, director Brooke Swaney (Blackfeet/Salish) documents Kendra and April as they connect with relatives and navigate what it means to be Native, and to belong to a tribe from the outside looking in. Along the way, Kendra uncovers generations of emotional and spiritual beauty and pain and comes to the startling realization that she is a living legacy of U. S. assimilationist policy.
By sharing a deeply personal experience of inherited cultural trauma, the film opens the door to broader and more complicated conversations about the erasure of Native culture and questions of identity surrounding adoption.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, August 23 and 24, the coming-of-age documentary/cinematic memoir “Beba” will be the featured film.
Reflecting on her childhood and adolescence in New York City as the daughter of a Dominican father and Venezuelan mother, first-time feature filmmaker Rebecca “Beba” Huntt investigates the historical, societal, and generational trauma she’s inherited and ponders how those ancient wounds have shaped her, while simultaneously considering the universal truths that connect us all as humans.
Throughout the 79-minute film, Ms. Huntt searches for a way to forge her own creative path amid a landscape of intense racial and political unrest. Poetic, powerful and profound, “Beba” is a courageous, deeply human self-portrait of an Afro-Latina artist hungry for knowledge and yearning for connection.
Due to a prior commitment, Andrew Botsford will not be guiding the discussion of this film. For further information, call 631-288-2350.
The summer 2022 series concludes on August 30 and 31 with “HALLELUJAH: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song,” a new feature-length documentary directed by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine that offers a comprehensive exploration of singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, “Hallelujah.”
Andrew’s guest for the discussion of this film will be WLIW 88.3FM radio personality and music authority Brian Cosgrove, host of “The Afternoon Ramble” Monday through Saturday at 1 p.m. and “The Overnight Ramble” Tuesday through Saturday at 2 a.m.
The feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: The songwriter and his times; the song’s dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone.
Approved for production by Leonard Cohen just before his 80th birthday in 2014, the film accesses a wealth of never-before-seen archival materials from the Cohen Trust, including Cohen’s personal notebooks, journals and photographs, performance footage, and extremely rare audio recordings and interviews.
Featuring Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Glen Hansard, Sharon Robinson, Rufus Wainwright, and many others, this film was a selection at Venice Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival.
To find out more and buy tickets online, visit www.whbpac.org and click on Films.
On Wednesday, July 27, Abigail Ericson and Sarah Adams organized a presentation at the Quogue Library by the Riverhead based Butterfly Effect Project: Creating Safe Spaces for Girls to Dream and Succeed. At left, Program and Development Director Brienne Ahearn; right, “Butterflies” who spoke about their experience included Nylah Claude (at podium), Genesis Fulford and Destiny Tuck. More information about the Butterfly Effect Project is available at http://www.bepgirls.org. —Abigail Ericson Photos
“Art Gene”: A Family Story Exhibition at Library Art Gallery
On view through September 7 at the Quogue Library Art Gallery, “Art Gene: Five Generations of Quogue Artists” features works by artists from five generations of one family: Disston, Jones, Larson, Lyman, Peters, and Stabler.
The artists with work on view include: Emily Hoe Lyman (1907-1986); Barbara (Babby) Lyman Peters (1930-1992); Joan Lyman Larson (b. 1934); Connie Peters Jones; Geoffrey Disston; Stuart Disston; Elsa Anders Cook; Mary Helen Brown; Anna Stabler; Kitt Disston; Debbie Disston; Timothy Maturo; and Lucie Maturo.
According to the library’s Art Gallery Committee, “this exhibition is about the inspiration, teaching, and passion for art from one generation to another. It is also about the inspiration from, and connection to, a place that is held dear and stores generations of memories.”
Family Affair Exhibition Up Next at Quogue Gallery
Works by Sally King Benedict and her father-in-law George Read will be on view in the next exhibition scheduled at the Quogue Gallery at 44 Quogue Street. The exhibition will run from August 18 through September 30; an opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 20.
Sally King Benedict is a contemporary artist living and working in Sun Valley, Idaho. She and her work have been featured in major publications across the U.S., including Elle Decor, Architectural Digest, Domino, Garden & Gun, and Southern Living, among others.
According to a release from the gallery, the artist’s work in a wide range of mediums appeals to established and new collectors alike: “She has the ability to create visual texture with a rich, adventurous color palette and expressive linear techniques.”
Ms. King Benedict grew up in Atlanta, frequently traveling and attending art openings, exhibits, and design shows, seeking inspiration from the work of both past and contemporary artists. She completed her education at the College of Charleston in 2007.
After a long and varied career in and around the artists, critics and collectors who populate the landscape of contemporary fine art, George Read has recently found his way back into the studio. He describes the “break” as immensely valuable, “an opportunity to sharpen and refine, even if the break was a bit longer than anticipated,” he adds.
He works quickly and on as many as a dozen pieces at once, a practice he picked up from his former mentor, Eduardo Chillida. Chillida suggested that he begin several pieces at once, putting each one aside when it had just begun to find form and definition. Then, with a roomful of works in varying stages of progress, Chillida encouraged him to move freely among them, from image to image, without a set pattern or plan. The practice suited him; he found it helped keep his eyes fresh and, most important, it forestalled over-analysis.
Mr. Read suggests that painting and sculpture are, far more than anything one learns or practices, “an attitude.” Artists can create narratives, he maintains, they can create images, or they can create experiences.
“Picasso and Miro were the first, master storytellers,” the artist says. “Rothko and Tapies created compelling images, and color field painters and others, like Diebenkorn, created complex visual experiences. I find myself pursuing something between the last two. I hope to create evocative images accompanied by experiences of color and form.”
The current retrospective exhibition of the work of Harry Bertschmann, featuring more than 25 paintings by the artist from the 1960s up to the 1990s, will remain on view through August 16.
Quogue Gallery is at 44 Quogue Street, Quogue, NY 11959. Quoguegallery.com.
Sunday Services at Church of the Atonement
The Reverend Zachary Thompson, the Vicar at St. James’ Church in Manhattan, will officiate at the 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. services at Church of the Atonement on Sunday, August 14.
Prior to joining the staff at St. James’, Rev. Thompson served as Rector and Associate Priest at the Church of Our Savior in Atlanta, GA, as well as Chaplain to Emory University. His wife, Amy, is the Assistant Head of School at the Church of the Epiphany Day School.
The Reverend Dr. Robert Dannals, now in his 20th season at Church of the Atonement, will officiate on three Sundays: August 21, 28 and September 4.
At 11 a.m. following the final summer service on Sunday, September 4, there will be a special coffee hour at the church organized to honor Patricia Osborne Feiler, who is stepping down after 50 years of service as organist and choir director. All are welcome, with a special invitation to all those who have sung with the choir or who have children who do, or did.
Currently serving as the Interim Rector at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida, Rev. Dannals was for many years Rector of Saint Michael and All Angels Church in Dallas, Texas, and served in interim ministry in New York City, Atlanta, and Beverly Hills.
Rev. Dannals earned his Masters of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Ministry from Drew University and a Ph.D. from Graduate Theological. For more than 12 years he has been writing daily lectionary-based e-devotions.
He and his wife Valerie have their permanent residence in Jacksonville. They have three daughters: Danielle with two daughters in Jacksonville; Kaleigh, married with two sons in Charlotte, NC; and Mary Blair, married in Washington, DC.
Services are at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. and all are welcome. As per diocesan guidelines, masks are optional at church services. For details and a full schedule, go to quoguechurch.org.
All children in the community age 7 to 14 are invited to sing in the junior choir, which is led by organist and Choir Director Patricia Osborne Feiler. Rehearsals are at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings. For additional information regarding the junior choir, contact Mary Vogel via email at mtvogel@icloud.com.
At Quaquanantuck is happy to provide a forum for civil discussion of village issues and initiatives and welcomes all comments. All are encouraged to share observations, ideas and opinions by writing to AtQuaq@gmail.com.
News Items and Photos
At Quaquanantuck encourages readers to send in news and notes and photos of interest to Quogue residents, even if the items are being sent from winter addresses or other parts of the country—or the world. Friends and family who enjoy all things Quogue are encouraged to email AtQuaq@gmail.com and ask to be put on the mailing list.
At Quaquanantuck 