Fourth of July Weekend means fireworks, special events and plenty of new art exhibitions to celebrate. Following is our picks of some of the best ways to spend the Fourth of July Weekend in The Hamptons and East End. Expect art, music and events perfectly set to celebrate and enjoy a Hamptons weekend with art and culture.
1. "The Lion" at Guild Hall
An award-winning story in song takes the stage of the John Drew Theater at Guild Hall when The Lion," starring Benjamin Scheuer, is performed on Friday, July 1, 2016 at 8 p.m. "The Lion" wracked up accolades in 2015 with a Drama Desk Awards Winner for Outstanding Solo Performer, a Theatre World Award Winner and as a NYTimes Critics’ Pick. In this narrative musical tale, Scheuer picks up no fewer than six guitars to tell one man’s coming-of-age story. The award-winning songwriter's story takes audiences on a journey from boyhood to manhood through rock 'n' roll to reveal the redemptive power of music and much more. Click here for event details.
Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.guildhall.org.
2. Classical Music by Itzhak Perlman and Faculty
The summer performance tent for the Perlman Music Program is inaugurated for the season with the Annual Faculty Concert taking place on Friday, July 1, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. on Shelter Island. The concert is free and open to the public. Performing are master teachers Rachel Calin, Catherine Cho, Kirsten Docter, Yi-Fang Huang, Ron Leonard, Sean Lee, Merry Peckham, Itzhak Perlman, John Root, Elizabeth Schumann and others. Arrive early and bring a beach chair or blanket, in case the lawn is the only seat left in the house.
The Perlman Music Program is located at 73 Shore Road, Shelter Island Heights, NY 11965. www.perlmanmusicprogram.org.
3. Jazz Weekend at Southampton Arts Center
On Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 4 pm, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People® on Tour kicks off the concert season for Southampton Art Center with the party jazz collective Thunderswamp presenting a celebration of the culture and legacy of New Orleans through second line grooves, blues belting, and music of Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Professor Longhair and more will be presented in this homage to the Crescent City. Click here for event details.
Jazz on the Steps by The Jam Session Inc. begins on Sunday, July 3, 2016 from noon to 2 pm with Kora player Yacouba Sissoko. Sissoko, born and raised in Kita, Mali, is a master kora player and performs jazz, Latin, R&B and traditional African songs. Sissoko has toured with Regina Carter, Baaba Maal, Rachel Brown, Kavita Shah, Kakande and Roberto Fonseca and recorded with Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon, Abdoulaye Diabate and Ami Koita. The Jazz on the Steps series kicks off with Yacouba Sissoko and continues every Sunday from noon to 2 pm through September 4, 2016.
Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton, NY 11968. www.southamptonartscenter.org.
4. Philanthropy Book Talk and Signing
Jean Shafiroff discusses her book, Successful Philanthropy: How to Make a Life By What You Give, on Saturday, July 2, 2016 at 5 p.m. at the Southampton Historical Museum. Shafiroff's book is a guide to modern philanthropy that explains how giving time and knowledge can be just as valuable as financial contributions. A reception with refreshments follows the talk. Admission is free.
The Southampton Historical Museum is located at 17 Meeting House Lane, Southampton, NY 11968. www.southamptonhistoricalmuseum.org.
Click here for event details.
.
Jean Shafiroff. Courtesy of the Southampton Historical Museum.
.
5. Book Discussion on Fiction and Unemployed Dating
Writing fiction takes an ultra contemporary turn in a book discussion with Iris Smyles & Fred Tuten presented on Saturday, July 2 from 5 to 6 p.m. at Canio's Books. The pair will Smyles' new book, Dating Tips for the Unemployed, as well as the ins and outs of fiction writing. Click here for event details.
Canio's Books is located at 290 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963. www.caniosbooks.com.
6. Opening of "WATER|BODIES" at Southampton Arts Center
An exhibition that links water as muse and water as interactive element takes shape in "WATER l BODIES." An Opening Reception takes place on Saturday, July 2, 2016 from 5 to 7 p.m. for the exhibition that marries figurative art with abstract art in an exhibition curated by artist Eric Fischl and New York Academy of Art President and artist David Kratz. The exhibition presents paintings, photographs and sculptures by established and emerging artists with connections to both the East End and the New York Academy of Art. The exhibition remains on view through July 31, 2016.
Admission is free. Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton, NY 11968. www.southamptonartscenter.org.
.
Detail of "Wading (Pink)" by Isca Greenfield-Sanders, 2011. Mixed media and oil on canvas, 56 x 56 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Ameringer McEnery Yohe. Image courtesy Southampton Center.
.
7. Opening of "Genieve Figgis: Heavy Metal Picnic" at Harper's Books
Painter Genieve Figgis returns to The Hamptons and this time she's going large. "Genieve Figgis: Heavy Metal Picnic" opens at Harper's Books in East Hampton with an Opening Reception on Saturday, July 2, 2016 from 6 to 8 p.m. The show features 16 large-scale acrylic paintings that mark a continuing evolution in Genieve Figgis' otherworldly oeuvre which is known for a liberal mix of humor and the macabre.
The exhibition remains on view through August 10, 2016. Click here to read a review of her 2014 show, "Genieve Figgis: Yes Captain," also exhibited at Harper's.
Harper's Books is located at 87 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937.www.harpersbooks.com. Click here for event details.
"Boat People" by Genieve Figgis, 2016. Acrylic on canvas, 59 x 59 inches.
8. Peter Beard Weekend
Dueling shows by Peter Beard will be on view in East Hampton starting this weekend. In a twist, one show has the stamp of approval by Beard while the other does not. Guild Hall opened an "authorized" exhibition on June 17, 2016 of "Peter Beard: Last Word From Paradise" at the East Hampton art museum. If you missed the opening, click here to see some of the fun.
This weekend, Gallery Valentine opens a show that includes images that are now the subject of possible legal scrutiny regarding federal copyright laws, reported Guelda Voien for The Observer. An invite-only reception is planned for Saturday and the show will be open for viewing on Sunday.
The gallery plans to post a sign notifying the public that the show is not affiliated or authorized by Beard, reported Guelda Voien for The Observer. Gallery Valentine is located at 33 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.galleryvalentine.com.
"Peter Beard: Last Word From Paradise" is exhibited at Guild Hall through July 15, 2016. It is the first U.S. museum show of Beard's work in 15 years. Click here for details. Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton, NY 11937. www.guildhall.org.
9. Fireworks & Melissa Etheridge
Fireworks claim the sky in various locations in The Hamptons this weekend. In Westhampton, the fun doesn't end when the sky goes dark. Melissa Etheridge will perform a concert on Sunday, July 3, 2016 at 10 p.m. at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Cente immediately following the fireworks display taking place at 9 p.m. in Westhampton Village. Fireworks originate from the members only Westhampton Country Club but are visible from many locations in the Village.
Tickets for "Melissa Etheridge THIS IS M.E. SOLO" start at $155. WHBPAC is located at 76 Main Street, Westhampton Beach, NY 11978. www.whbpac.org. Click here for event details.
.
Melissa Etheridge. Courtesy WHBPAC.
.
_______________________________
Copyright 2016 Hamptons Art Hub LLC. All rights reserved.