The Watermill Center will host its spring Community Day on Saturday, May 22.
Community Day offers a chance for the community to experience The Center’s grounds as its Artists-in-Residence do — as a space to explore, unwind, and be inspired. The day’s offerings include a workshop with theatre director Rachel Dickstein; a site-specific installation by East End artist Laurie Lambrecht; live music by composer Molly Joyce; and Art Quest, a scavenger hunt and self-guided tour of The Center’s outdoor collection of art and artifacts spread across its ten-acre campus.
Community Day is hosted in honor of The Watermill Center’s educational partner, The Bridgehampton Child Care & Recreational Center, and features a children’s scavenger hunt designed by students in BHCCRC’s after-school program.
“The property is a big part of daily life at The Center for many of our artists,” said The Watermill Center’s Education Coordinator Andrea Cote. “Whether as a place to work, explore, relax, meditate in, or draw inspiration from, the Artists-in-Residence have a relationship with our grounds and gardens. Community Day is an opportunity to offer the public the same intimate experience.”
Community Day kicks off with “Candidate X: From Word to Image” a workshop by theatre director and current Watermill Artist-in-Residence, Rachel Dickstein. Drawing from stories of womxn, power, and personal agency, “Candidate X” guides participants through a sample interview process followed by a hands-on exploration of how to create movement, image, and action inspired by their stories. The workshop is for ages twelve and up.
“Our goal is always to demystify the creative process and provide an intimate understanding of how artists create their work. Dickstein’s workshop does just that by taking the processes developed during her residency and teaching the public how they can use the same processes to devise their work,” said Cote.
Following the workshop, guests are invited to take part in The Center’s scavenger hunt, Art Quest, engage with an interactive installation by Laurie Lambrecht, and enjoy live music by Molly Joyce, who will feature selections from her recent album “Breaking and Entering,” which was praised as “stunning” by The Washington Post.
“Creating new work in the woods at The Watermill Center allows me to respond to many years of careful observation there,” said Lambrecht. “I started photographing on-site in 1993, observing the ever-evolving installations that widened my perception of indoor vs. outdoor space. Through watching outdoor performance rehearsals led by Robert Wilson, I became aware of the significance of listening to the landscape in addition to looking.”
“I am super excited to return to The Watermill Center grounds to perform with my toy organ,” says Joyce. “I’ve continually held fond memories from exploring the grounds during winter residencies, and I’m excited to revisit the singular setting on Community Day.”
Registration for both the morning workshop and Community Day is required. Tickets start at $15. The Center offers reduced pricing for those needing financial assistance. Visitors are encouraged to bring donations to the BHCCRC Food Pantry. The Watermill Center will provide a list of requested items upon registration. For more information and to register, click here.