Sound View in Greenport presents Kulture Collective, special programming at the hotel that includes its Beach Fire Series, a weekly conversation on culture, and Served, a new monthly program with The Halyard’s Executive Chef Stephan Bogardus.
Hotelier and owner of Sound View Erik Warner has created these programs to further align with the property’s ethos. The aim is to engage the guest with the local community, while appealing to travelers who are looking for an educational and immersive experience.
Since Sunday, August 29, and continuing until its too cold, The Beach Fire Series presents an intimate weekly conversation for 20 people, where a leader in the conversation of culture shares insights into their world, work, and lives. The discussion may include topics like creative inspiration, politics, the pandemic, and artistic expression.
Coming up in the series are Brooklyn-based ceramic artist Brie Ruais on September 19, fine arts professional Eric Shiner on September 26, actor and designer Waris Ahluwalia, and architect Stephanie Goto in October. Over the past month, key speakers included Randall Griffer, curator of modern and contemporary art at The Met, contemporary artist Brendan Fernandes, and award-winning photographer Nona Faustine.
The property’s Served series, which continues on October 9 and 10, features The Halyard’s acclaimed Chef Stephen Bogardus, who takes guests on a chef boot camp. Over the two days, guests will accompany the chef to learn all about local and organic sourcing and prepping. They will prepare a classic dish, which has a chance of being added to the restaurant’s menu. Restaurant guests will be asked to sample each dish and rate them.
We caught up with Warner to learn more about the Kulture Collective and the property.
Tell us about the concept behind Sound View.
When I began the revitalization of the property back in 2016, I knew I needed to create a place that reflected the North Fork and its community. Out here, as we say, we are so intertwined with nature that time often stands still. Add in the authenticity of this place, its calm but powerful spirit, and its depth of history, the area is truly magical.
Capturing a place like this was the hard part and so for design, we embraced touches of New England modernism and nautical undertones that nod to Greenport’s fishing and boating history. To provide versatility of product and different pricing points, the property features 55 guest rooms, studios, one and two bedroom suites, and then a lobby lounge, expansive waterfront restaurant, piano bar, library, outdoor pool, and private beach.
In recent years, I’ve worked to add new, exciting aspects to the property, like Sound View’s recently debuted Hot Tub & Sauna suites, a retail shop and e-commerce site, At Dawn, and the vast Kulture Collective programming which deepens our ties with culture and community; all new methods to help visitors better connect with the property and to each other.
Tell us a little about your background and what brought you to this point.
I initially came across Sound View in 2015 and had an immediate admiration for the property, given its history and strong sense of place in Greenport. At the time that the property went up for sale, I was looking to purchase a spot on the North Fork because of my attraction to agri- and aqua-culture as well as to the people and maritime culture of the area.
The Levin family, who originally built the property in 1953, sold it to me through my company Eagle Point Hotel Partners. The family had many offers over the years but put their trust in me to elevate the hotel, and to bring a new sense of community to the North Fork area — and since then, I’ve made it my mission to engage with guests and locals by bringing thought-provoking culture and art programming to the property, including Sound View’s new Kulture Collective and annual Uncommon Art Residency Program, where artists stay at the hotel and host a community piece for guests to experience.
Talk more about the programming at Sound View and how it aligns with the property’s ethos.
Engaging and connecting each member of the North Fork community has always been a major focus of mine. Small communities are the backbone of America and all of our programming leads with the intention of strengthening the backbone whether it be the Kulture Collective, an event series that includes a commitment to learning and connecting, or the Beach Fire Series, where each Sunday night a leader in the conversation of culture shares their insight on inspirational topics, each of these opportunities has an educational component and leaves guests feeling better connected to one another.
Tell us about the Beach Fire Series and how it was started.
The Beach Fire Series was created as another approach to inspiring conversation and mutual understanding between our guests and the broader community. I use the tagline “To be human is to belong.” So many people when they hear the word “culture,” think it doesn’t include them so we brought the discussion around a campfire where each Sunday night, a leader in the conversation of culture co-hosts a discussion with me, sharing their insight on topics such as creative inspiration, politics, the pandemic, and artistic expression fireside with guests.
The series has a two-fold effect: getting artists and visionaries out of their day-to-day work and out to our property with a quarter-mile of walkable beach, creating a place for them to come and be inspired — and providing guests with an cultural opportunity during their stay that has the potential to inspire their everyday lives.
How did the lineup of speakers come together?
We reached out to a variety of artists to co-host this series with us. Each of the artists we selected sparks a new idea to those listening. From contemporary artists and photographers, to fine art professionals and art curators, each of these individuals can introduce a new way of thinking to those who join us, and help to ignite a conversation one may not have in their day-to-day life.
Why is it important to give guests and visitors the opportunity to explore, relate, and connect? And to engage the hotel guest with the local community?
To have a leader in the conversation of culture interacting with our guests and community who may not feel they are a part of these conversations is very important to me. There is a huge disconnect going on in communities around the country and this is my effort to start bridging the gap in conversation. If I can promote inclusion and the ability for any and everyone to hear and share their perspectives in a neutral environment, I am certain that our communities will start going closer together in the years to come.
For tickets to The Kulture Collective Beach-Fire Series and to learn more about programming at Sound View, visit soundviewgreenport.com. Tickets for the Beach Fire Series are on a first come first served basis, and released online the Thursday prior to the talk.
