Traveling Smithsonian Exhibit On Water Stops In East Hampton

EAST HAMPTON, NY — A Smithsonian traveling exhibition focused on water is heading to East Hampton.

The exhibit, "Water/Ways," which explores the cultural and environmental impact of water, will be spotlighted at the Clinton Academy Museum, located at 151 Main Street in East Hampton, from Feb. 29 through April 11, Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. An opening reception will be held on Feb. 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. There is no admission charge; donations are welcomed.

The East Hampton Historical Society has invited the public to discover how humanity has used water and how water has shaped our civilization when the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibition arrives for a six-week stay, a release said.

"Water impacts climate, agriculture, transportation, industry and more. It inspires art and music. The East Hampton Historical Society, in cooperation with the Museum Association of New York, or MANY, will examine water as an environmental necessity and an important cultural element, as it hosts Water/Ways, a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian’s Museum on Main Street, or MoMS, program," the release said

New York is home to more than 7,600 bodies of fresh water; it also borders two of the Great Lakes, the Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean, the release said. The Smithsonian's Water/Ways exhibition explores water’s great role in New York and water’s effect on migration and settlement, and the relationship between water and politics, economics and culture, organizers added.

“The East Hampton Historical Society is honored to be the only location on Long Island and one of only six in New York State to be selected to host Water/Ways. Hosting this exhibition allows us to offer an important and engaging opportunity, not only to the East Hampton community, but to those across Long Island,” said Maria Vann, executive director of the East Hampton Historical Society.

“Water has always dictated the life of the East End,” said Richard Barons, chief curator of the East Hampton Historical Society. “As a historical society, our contribution to the Smithsonian’s traveling exhibition will focus on water and its roles in the early to mid-20th century. Three areas for which we have excellent documentation are our famous beaches, ice making and ice fishing as well as a section on duck hunting."

Mural-sized collages, created from antique photographs, will immerse the visitor in a kaleidoscopic picture of East Hampton’s old-time water inspired activities, he added.

The East Hampton Historical Society will hold an array of community-based programs over the course of the six-week exhibit, all of which support, illuminate, and foster curiosity about water and its role in our lives, the release added.

“The programs that we have planned provide the East Hampton community with opportunities to engage with the various themes from the exhibition in unique ways. Not only are we providing hands-on learning opportunities for children, but we are also arranging a wide breadth of lectures for our adult population,” said Marianne Howard, the East Hampton Historical Society’s director of visitor experience.

Programs include Watercolor Workshops for Kids & Adults, a series of lectures, including “What is a Waterway Anyway” by Daniel Rinn on March 12 and “History of Montaukett/Shinnecock Fishing” on March 20, and a staged reading of “Salt Water People” on March 29.

“The Smithsonian’s touring exhibition of Water/Ways is for everyone, as water is rudimentary to life as we know it. Everyone connects to water, as consumers, as advocates, in ritual connections, in historical context, and other personal ways. Our water story, is the world’s water story…one that binds us, sustains us, and inspires us,” said Vann.