It's a Duck Creek Summer

The Arts Center at Duck Creek’s 2025 season of free, community-centered arts programming is underway. Located on historic Duck Creek Farm in Springs, the nonprofit has presented 59 exhibitions, 66 concerts and 57 events since 2018, showcasing diverse voices and fostering public engagement. The Arts Center at Duck Creek is at 127 Squaw Road in Springs. For more information, visit duckcreekarts.org.

2025 Exhibitions: In the John Little Barn

“Louise Eastman & Janis Stemmerman: Black and White and Read All Over” — Now Through June 8.

Through quilts, prints, ceramics and sculptural installation, artists Louise Eastman and Janis Stemmerman explore material, memory, and storytelling using a shared palette of black, white, and red. Their work draws on folk traditions and domestic forms — like the log cabin quilt and pie tin — to reflect on themes of home and creative kinship.

“ACDC Alumni Exhibit & Benefit”— June 14 to July 27. Reception Saturday, June 14, 5 to 7 p.m.

Duck Creek’s first alumni exhibition features a selection of artists from past exhibits, celebrating the creative voices that have shaped the community and highlights the diverse practices that continue to define the programming. Works will be available for sale at the Duck Creek Benefit on Friday, July 25, (rain date July 27), with proceeds supporting free, inclusive programming.

“Ian Swordy” — Now Through July 13.

This outdoor exhibition of recent marble sculptures by artist Ian L.C. Swordy is set against the scenic grounds of Duck Creek Farm. The show brings Swordy’s monumental and intricate works into dialogue with the rustic charm and natural beauty of Duck Creek’s storied landscape.

“Fitzhugh Karol” — July 19 Through December 14. Reception Saturday, July 19, 5 to 7 p.m.

Fitzhugh Karol will present an exhibition of several large-scale steel sculptures that transform the grounds of Duck Creek. Known for his playful and elemental forms, Karol creates work that invites both reflection and interaction — engaging viewers on both a personal and environmental level, and emphasizing the dynamic relationship between the sculptures and Duck Creek’s natural, historic setting.

“Alix Pearlstein: Inventory 2” — August 7 to 10.

Artist Alix Pearlstein directs a group of actors in a continuous live performance. A running list of objects, structures, poses, gestures and characters derived from her inventory of previous works will form the script, which will evolve over the four-day/16-hour duration, in response to site and the moment.

“Daisuke Kiyomiya” — August 16 to September 28. Reception Saturday, August 16, 5 to 7 p.m.

Daisuke’s work explores the ever-shifting relationship between internal perception and external form, translating emotions, memories, and philosophical inquiry into abstract, organic shapes. Guided by instinct, his process is fluid, unpredictable, and deeply rooted in a desire to understand and communicate one’s place in the universe.

2024 Exhibitions: In the Little Gallery

“Ralph Stout: Commuter Drawings” — Now Through June 8.

This exhibit features 120 of local artist Ralph Stout’s intimate “Commuter Drawings” — ballpoint pen sketches on New York Times pages made during his daily subway rides — where abstract forms meet the printed grid in a quiet meditation on time, routine, and creativity.

“Carol Saft: My Wife, Masked and Unmasked” — June 14 to July 20. Reception Saturday, June 14, 5 to 7 p.m.

“My Wife, Masked and Unmasked” is a deeply intimate series of paintings by artist and filmmaker Carol Saft, portraying her wife, Cynthia, in private moments of rest and self-care, often beneath the eerie glow of a beauty mask. The work offers an unflinching look at love, aging, and the quiet rituals of queer domestic life.

“Cal Fish, Becca Rodriguez & One Landscape: Long Island Sound Map” — August 7 to 10. Performance Saturday, August 9, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

This immersive installation focuses on Long Island’s East End using Fish & Rodriguez’s sound recordings, foraged pigments, oral histories and environmental data to create a multi-sensory experience of landscape and memory. It will include a participatory event by the collective “One Landscape,” that deepens community connection to place.

“Bruce Sherman: Bonsai and Spirit Rocks” — August 16 to September 28. Reception Saturday, August 16, 5 to 7 p.m.

Historically, the practice of cultivating bonsai trees is an embodiment of patience, discipline, and the transience of life. By recreating them in ceramic, Bruce Sherman both preserves and transforms these symbols — honoring their spiritual and cultural resonance while inviting contemporary reflection on nature, perception, and permanence.

2025 New Music Series

Curated by Duck Creek’s series founder, jazz guitarist, and former New York Times music critic Peter Watrous.

Little Black Egg and 75 Dollar Bill — Saturday, June 21, 6 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday, June 22)

In her solo project Little Black Egg, Georgia Hubley (of Yo La Tengo) trades drums for guitar, performing intimate, improvised soundscapes with Ira Kaplan on keyboard. They’re followed by 75 Dollar Bill, the New York City duo of Rick Brown and Che Chen, known for their expansive, rhythm-driven blend of global modal traditions, electric blues, cosmic jazz and experimental New York sounds.

Inés Velasco Orchestra — Thursday, July 3, 6 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday, July 27)

Inés Velasco is a Brooklyn-based composer, arranger, and drummer from Guadalajara, México, and a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Berklee College of Music. Her debut big band album, “A Flash of Cobalt Blue,” is a collaboration with poet Jorge Esquinca, inspired by his book “Descripción de un brillo azul cobalto.”

Camila Cortina Quartet — Thursday, July 24, 6 p.m.

Camila Cortina Bello is a Cuban-born pianist and composer whose music blends Afro-Cuban traditions with jazz, classical, and global influences. A Next Jazz Legacy Fellow and Berklee alum, she has performed internationally and collaborated with artists such as Paquito D’Rivera, Terri Lyne Carrington, and Dianne Reeves.

Kazemde George Trio — Thursday, July 31, 6 p.m.

Kazemde George is a Brooklyn-based jazz saxophonist, composer, and beat-maker known for his warm tone and emotionally direct melodies. Performing with his trio, he draws on a wide range of musical influences shaped by his Caribbean heritage and early training in piano, saxophone and percussion.

Yvonne Rogers — Thursday, August 14, 6 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday, August 17)

Yvonne Rogers is a Brooklyn-based pianist, composer, and multimedia artist whose recent album Seeds blends jazz with minimalist influences in an accessible, melodic style. Described as “a fresh, new voice on piano,” she sees the project as an exploration of risk, community and creative possibility.

Akili Bradley — Thursday, August 21, 6 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday, August 24)

Akili Bradley is a Boston-based trumpeter and composer from Seaside, California, whose early training was shaped by the Monterey Jazz Festival’s renowned education programs. She is currently pursuing a performance degree at Berklee College of Music, studying with leading artists including Terri Lyne Carrington and Tia Fuller.

Sophia Kickhofel Quartet — Saturday, September 6, 5 p.m. (Rain Date: Sunday September 7)

Sophia Kickhofel is an alto saxophonist and Juilliard student whose performances alongside Sean Jones, DeeDee Bridgewater, and Ulysses Owens Jr. have taken her to stages including Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress, and Dizzy’s Jazz Club. Her work is guided by a deep commitment to creating music that fosters empathy, connection and a sense of community.

Zoe Obadia Trio — Saturday, September 20, 5 p.m. (Rain Date Sunday, September 21)

Zoe Obadia is a saxophonist and Juilliard alum based in New York City, where she has performed as both leader and side person at venues including Birdland, Close Up and Dizzy’s. Originally from New Jersey, she began playing saxophone at nine and studied with jazz greats such as Ron Blake and Kenny Washington during her time at Juilliard.

Family Night Series: Mondays in July and August, 5 to 7 p.m.

The second season of Family Night returns, an inclusive, free weekly program featuring live performances, collaborative parent-child art activities and free dinners donated by local restaurants. These multicultural events foster authentic and meaningful community connections for children and parents.