Parrish Art Museum Holds Symposium September 22-23 On Water And Climate Change

The Parrish Art Museum will hold a two-day symposium on water and climate change beginning Friday, September 22, to highlight both the artistic and ecological significance of water on the East End and farther afield.

The “(Re) Sources: Symposium on Water and Climate Change” events kick off at the museum in Water Mill with an invitation-only World Café Workshop, a high-level discussion among East End professionals from various fields to explore possible actions to address pollution, rising tides, flooding and extreme weather.

The 20 to 25 participants will break into small groups, each at a different table with a moderator. Each table will tackle a different topic, and the group will move on to another table after 20 minutes or so. Note takers will record the three rounds and a debriefing, so a whitepaper can be produced for publication on the Parrish’s website.

Then, at 6 p.m. on Friday, Press News Group Executive Editor Joseph Shaw will moderate a panel discussion with Southampton Town Councilman John Bouvier, artist Alexis Rockman, Perfect Earth Project founder Edwina von Gal and other panelists to be announced.

Titled “Water—A (Re)Source of Inspiration,” the discussion will focus on water and climate change through the lens of science, design, art, community and public service, according to the museum. This event is open to the public. Admission is $12, or free for students and Parrish members.

Then, on Saturday, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the Parrish will offer an open studio for both children and adults. Inspired by artist Clifford Ross’s “Light Waves,” an LED-wall installation at the museum visible from Montauk Highway, the “Water Lab!” open studio will include gallery tours, hands-on experiments and opportunities to create art while learning about the unique properties of water.

The symposium will conclude on Saturday at 8 p.m. with a performance by Optipus, a New York-based artists collective and orchestra that uses multi-projection and sound. Bradley Eros composed original work that celebrates the natural world with a focus on open water throughout history, according to the Parrish.

“The configuration of these as yet untitled work includes 13 artists contributing to the visual score that extends over three large projection screens and uses a variety of film/video formats,” explained Parrish curator of special projects Corinne Erni. “Nine Optipus members are dedicated to the musical score featuring strings, percussion, and electronic instruments that were created or altered by the artists.”