Canoe Place Inn Launches a New Series Aimed at Sparking Conversation

In homage to its history as the nation’s oldest inn (purportedly dating back to 1679) and in celebration of centuries of artists, athletes, politicians and intellectuals who have visited, the newly renovated Canoe Place Inn & Cottages has launched Front Row at Canoe Place, a speaker and music series.

Each Front Row session aims to give audiences “new perspectives from some of today’s most transformative stories as leading thinkers explore and celebrate critical ideas through short talks, conversations, and performances.”

The inn, which includes a restaurant and event space, reopened on August 8 last year after a multiyear renovation by Rechler Equity Partners. In a recent interview, Mario Arakelian, the inn’s general manager, explained that the series, which was planned long before the property’s reopening, was established to ensure the inn “resonated and resembled what it stood for.”

The other purpose, he added, was to create a gathering place in the community for intellectual and meaningful discussion. Arakelian said the series was a product of a large amount of brainstorming with the owners and the inn’s management company Main Street Hospitality, Arakelian’s employer.

“Many names have gone through the inn and we wanted to ensure that the legacy was kept and it was ongoing,” Arakelian said. “Our vision and our owner’s desire was to make sure that the community kept engaged and that people felt the Canoe Place was continuing to be a part of the livelihood of Hampton Bays where people could come in and mingle and exchange ideas and have thought-provoking speakers.”

The topics of upcoming Front Row sessions range from Kristy Edmund, the director of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts discussing her career and the state of the art world on May 18 and Bill Bratton, former Boston, Los Angeles and New York City police commissioner discussing community, race and policing on June 14, to Susan Bauer Wu, the president of the Mind & Life Institute, discussing wellness on July 13. Also included in the series will be candlelight concerts, featuring tributes to musical legends such as Fleetwood Mac, Queen and Vivaldi.

Speakers for the series are selected through the inn’s marketing experts and creative department, who developed a list of topics and participants they would like to see. Inn management as well as Main Street Hospitality make a final committee discussion on who ultimately comes in as a presenter. Arakelian said the goal is to look for speakers with expertise in arts, entertainment, music and technology.

Rocky Ruggiero, Ph.D., a professor of art and architectural history who divides his time between the United States and Italy, spoke at Canoe Place Inn on April 6. In an interview prior to the event, he explained that his lecture would be on the Italian Renaissance, with a specific focus on Leonardo da Vinci’s famed masterpiece “The Last Supper.” Ruggiero, who has taught in Italy and now leads tours there, said he aims to connect with people and explain art on a human, accessible level. Namely, he said, he wants audiences to connect the age-old painting to the present day.

“I try to bring it down to earth, in the sense that this mural that was stuck to a wall in Milan and was painted 500 years ago is relevant, or I explain why it’s important to somebody living in the Hamptons, or nearby, in 2023,” he said.

Ruggiero added that he tries to avoid making his lectures stiff or elitist but rather creates them in a way that can be a form of entertainment and education for the crowd.

“In the field of academia, very often people have a tendency to talk with a very lofty vocabulary that sometimes they themselves don’t even understand,” he said. “And it just alienates people because ... it’s a Thursday night, I’m sure you have better things to do than sit there. I love making contemporary analogies, whether it’s NFL football or television programs or movies.”

Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who will be a Front Row speaker at the inn on June 1, said his neighbor in the Berkshires, Sarah Eustis, CEO of Main Street, invited him to sign on as a speaker for the series. A strong believer in constructive conversation, especially with those with whom he disagrees, Patrick readily agreed to take part.

“I may be one of the only people who has been in public life and doesn’t feel like I have to have an opinion on everything,” he said. “ [Or] that my opinion is the only opinion. But the thing I’m most interested in is this constructive conversation, real conversation with live people, and especially people who may not already agree.”

The former governor noted his conversation topics tend to stray from politics. Instead, they often become a discussion of democracy and how to make it “meaningful.” In his talk, he wants to address the large number of people who abstain from voting because they feel their vote doesn’t matter.

When you avoid putting others in boxes, Patrick said, and leave “room for surprise,” engaging with those on the opposite political spectrum can be “incredibly rich and fun.” The former governor believes that Americans are far less divided than portrayed by the media, he said, noting having conversations in more intimate settings can help bridge that divide.

The key to having these tough conversations, he said is humility. Patrick said he will open the conversation by explaining his ideas and how he arrived at them. Then he’ll want the audience to converse and discuss the concept.

“I’m trusting that the format allows for this,” he said. “I won’t just be saying my two cents and then sitting down, but I’ll open the conversation by saying what’s on my mind and then try to invite people in.”

Typically, guests of the Front Row series have the opportunity to have an initial meet and greet with the speaker, who upon start time, lead the audience in conversation for 60 to 90 minutes, ending with a question and answer session. Oftentimes, according to Arakelian, guests will linger and converse, or stay for a meal at the Good Ground Tavern, the inn’s Mediterranean restaurant.

The majority of the guests who have attended sessions so far have been from the surrounding area, rather than visitors from further afield. Arakelian said many guests have returned after attending a Front Row event, even if subsequent sessions deal with topics that they had not previously had an interest in. People often spread the word on social media, or bring friends, he noted.

Arakelian said that so far in the series, guests have come for a variety of reasons, whether it be a deep interest in the topic, the desire to develop an interest in something new or simply wanting to be a part of the experience. The inn manager said the discussions have resulted in education and excitement, but ultimately, and most importantly, they have sparked conversations.

“[Guests] need to go in with an open mind,” he said. “It’s really educational. It’s actually quite fascinating.”

As a bonus, the program, Arakelian said, has “perfectly” fit into the inn’s reopening, by creating a space that brings it close to the community, and one that is “accessible” to its East End neighbors.

“This is really open to everyone in the community,” he said. “Whether you are a follower of arts, music, culture, whatever it may be, there is something here for everyone.”

Front Row events at Canoe Place Inn & Cottages typically gather between 70 to 80 guests. While the first few events were free, future events will have a fee. Prices will range from $15 to $50. Canoe Place Inn & Cottages is located at 239 East Montauk Highway in Hampton Bays. For details, visit canoeplace.com.

May 11: “Campus Culture” with Michael Roth, President of Wesleyan University. The well-known historian, author and curator talks about current culture on campus and what it means for the future.

May 18: “Art Today, a Conversation” with Kristy Edmunds. The director of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts (MASS MoCA) discusses her career and the world of art today.

June 1: “The U.S. Political Landscape” with Deval Patrick. Former two-term Governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate has an open discussion on U.S. politics.

June 14: “Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America” with Former Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton. The former Boston, Los Angeles, and New York City police commissioner candidly opens up about his career and discusses his book “The Profession.”

June 23: “Candlelight Concert Series: Queen.” A wildly popular, one-of-a-kind multi-sensory tribute series with musicians from all over the world makes its way to Canoe Place. Experience music in a whole new light with an homage to one of the greatest rock bands of all ages.

July 13: “A Wellness Talk” with Susan Bauer Wu. The president of the Mind & Life Institute shares insight on how to improve mind, body and spirit.

July 14: “Candlelight Concert Series: Vivaldi.” A multi-sensory experience illuminated by thousands of candles creates a magical night honoring the Italian composer and violinist’s masterpieces.

August 4: “Candlelight Concert Series: Fleetwood Mac.” Experience the legendary British-American rock band’s greatest hits under the gentle glow of candlelight.