Sag Harbor Artist Pitches a Whale of a Bench

Eleni Prieston, a Sag Harbor jewelry maker and artist, was visiting the south of France last spring when she came across a sight that caught her eye. It was a bench shaped like a whale’s tail cast in aluminum.

Prieston said she was immediately reminded of Sag Harbor’s history as a whaling port and thought a couple of the benches would look good at the end of Long Wharf or in Marine Park, making that pitch to the Sag Harbor Village Board on January 14.

But, she added, whales have gone from being a targeted species to one that people now want to help.

“Thankfully, we’ve pivoted ourselves from hunting them to protecting them,” she said. “Our values have changed. We’ve become more sensitive to those creatures human or animal, old or young, who are vulnerable. I’d like to think of these as reminders of our past and future. To be inclusive is to consider the compromised among us, no matter where they live.”

The board did not discuss Prieston’s proposal, but Mayor Tom Gardella, who invited her to make her presentation, said he would support the placement of one of the benches in “an appropriate location, especially since they complement Sag Harbor’s whaling history” and could bring awareness to people with special needs.

But his endorsement came with an important caveat: “I don’t think the village can justify spending taxpayer monies when we need sidewalks and other infrastructure improvements,” he said.

Prieston said the benches, which are produced by an artist in Vancouver, cost more than $13,000 apiece, plus shipping. She said she had yet to give much thought to how to launch a fundraiser to buy one or more of the benches to donate to the village.

She said she was open to suggestions and would be happy to brainstorm with others about her idea and asked that those who are interested in the project to contact her at eleni@madesagharbor.com.