Artists Steven and William Ladd bring their National Scrollathon to LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton on October 25. Members of the community are invited to participate in a series of artmaking workshops. Individual creative contributions will be assembled as one permanent artwork.
LongHouse’s finished piece will represent the East End when the Scrollathon is displayed in its entirety, with sections from all 50 states and U.S. territories, at The Kennedy Center in 2026. The National Scrollathon reveals the American story in all its beautiful complexity as we celebrate the country’s Semiquincentennial.
Using colorful strips of webbing, Scrollathon participants explore the meditative nature of hand working, simultaneously promoting verbal communication with the creative team. This is the kind of traditional community communication that has always been fostered by American craft, be it quilting bees, story circles, or a barn raising. The humble upcycled materials combined with an environment of love and encouragement give people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds an atmosphere for reflection, healing, joy, and accomplishment.
Throughout their careers, Steven and William Ladd have developed an interactive, hands-on approach to artmaking. They meld fine art, design, and craft with their dedication to interactive collaboration, education, and community engagement. From small-scale, intimate sculptural objects to the vast, ongoing, inclusive, and embracing project they call Scrollathon. Their artwork is often drawn from their own shared memories and experiences. They have developed a way to encourage others to do the same, based on the idea of a scroll as an ancient form of communication.
On October 25 at LongHouse, there will be four workshops throughout the day, starting at 10 AM. Each participant will make an additional scroll to take home as a keepsake. Visit longhouse.org.