After Hours At The Church

On Friday, August 12, at 6 p.m., The Church in Sag Harbor will host an after hours conversation between Eric Fischl and Sara Cochran, co-curators of the current “Threading the Needle” exhibition, who will discuss the curatorial process and how the show came to be.

The exhibition includes 50 artworks by 46 contemporary artists, all of whom have explored fabric, fiber, weaving or textiles in their work. The show was planned around four themes: the “Body and Its Distortions,” “Politics and Identity,” “Webbing,” and “Stitching.” The works question and blur artificial boundaries between fine art and craft, as well as between genres historically associated with feminine or masculine roles. The limited number of attendees will be given the opportunity to privately view the exhibition after hours in an intimate setting. The conversation will conclude with a wine reception, allowing guests to socialize and converse about the show.

“So much of how we think about or describe the aspects and conditions of our lives and our community uses fabric, fiber, thread as metaphors to help us understand who we are and where we are,” Fischl stated. “It is our culture that weaves us together. We know that our beliefs and values can become tattered and worn. In moments of great stress, we might feel we are only holding on by a thread. What we have done or not been able to do forms the tapestry of our lives. The joys and struggles we experience touch the very fiber of our souls. Society, family and even our sense of self are all about building and maintaining a network of connectedness. These knots, these ties that bind, with all their care and complexity is at the heart of our exhibition, ‘Threading the Needle.’”

“This is going to be an opportunity for our visitors to see some work they may know in a new light and discover other artists who are dealing with the essential questions of our time,” added chief curator Sara Cochran. “The exhibition explores what happens when the conceptual approaches of art and the skills involved in fabric practices come together and produce artworks that challenge expectations in the arenas of art and craft, changing both fields. The work of these extraordinary artists is going to transform the building and surprise the public. There are going to be a lot of interesting and fun conversations this summer at The Church.”

Tickets to after hours at The Church, 48 Madison Street, Sag Harbor, with Sara Cochran and Eric Fischl are $30 ($25 members) at thechurchsagharbor.org.