TALKS
NEIL SLAUGHTER
THURSDAY, JUNE 25 | 6 - 8 PM
Join Professor Emeritus Neill Slaughter for an engaging lecture exploring the life, career, and enduring influence of celebrated American painter John Singer Sargent. Timed to the acclaimed *Sargent & Paris* exhibition at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art, this richly illustrated presentation traces Sargent’s rise from a gifted young portraitist in Paris to one of the defining artistic figures of the Gilded Age and early twentieth century.
Drawing from decades as both a practicing artist and art historian, Slaughter offers unique insight into Sargent’s painterly brilliance, artistic circle, and remarkable legacy, examining the artist not only through historical context, but also through the eye of a fellow painter. The lecture will explore Sargent’s early successes and controversies in Paris, his later triumphs in London and America, and the extraordinary technical mastery that continues to captivate audiences today.
Artist and educator Neill Slaughter graduated with a BFA from the University of Georgia in 1975 and received his MFA from Indiana University Bloomington in 1978. Until his retirement in 2016, Professor Slaughter taught fine arts and art history at the university level for nearly four decades, beginning at Tyler School of Art and Architecture in Philadelphia before teaching and lecturing internationally in England, California, and New York. In 1993, he joined Long Island University in Southampton, where he taught for nearly twenty-five years before being awarded Professor Emeritus status in 2017.
A practicing artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, Slaughter’s extensive travels have deeply informed his paintings and lectures. Among his honors are a Ford Foundation Fellowship, a Scottish Arts Council Grant, a Loyola Marymount University research grant to Africa, and a Fulbright Fellowship to India. In 2003 he received Long Island University’s David Newton Award for Excellence in Teaching, and in both 2008 and 2022 he mounted major retrospective exhibitions celebrating over fifty years of artistic achievement.
VERA NEUMANN: MIDCENTURY TEXTILE MAESTRO WITH STEVEN STOLMAN
THURSDAY, JULY 2 | 6 - 8 PM
Steven Stolman presents an evening inspired by the vibrant world of Vera Neumann, the celebrated midcentury textile designer whose iconic “Vera” scarves became synonymous with American style in the 1950s and ’60s. Favored by fashion legends including Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, and Jane Fonda — and more recently spotted on Sarah Jessica Parker and Taylor Swift — Vera’s bold colors and graphic prints continue to influence fashion and design today.
In conversation with Greg Sharp, President of Vera Neumann, Stolman will explore Vera’s remarkable creative legacy and enduring cultural impact. The evening will also feature a presentation of Stolman’s newest dress collection, inspired by the Vera archive and displayed on mannequins throughout the space.
Complimentary cocktail reception following the presentation.
DAVID RUBENSTEIN
FRIDAY, JULY 3 | 5 - 7PM
Join David M. Rubenstein for a timely and engaging conversation exploring the origins, meaning, and enduring legacy of the Declaration of Independence as America approaches its 250th anniversary. Drawing on his deep passion for American history, Rubenstein will connect the nation’s founding ideals to the challenges and opportunities of today, examining how the stories we preserve continue to shape our national identity.
With insight, humor, and candor, Rubenstein will trace how the Declaration came to be, why its most celebrated phrases still resonate around the world, and what its principles mean in contemporary America.
Rubenstein is the Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s leading private investment firms, and serves as Chairman, CEO, and principal owner of the Baltimore Orioles. A recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he is widely recognized for his leadership in business, philanthropy, and the preservation of American history and culture.
He is also the host of several acclaimed television programs, including The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations, Iconic America: Our Symbols and Stories, and the author of multiple New York Times bestselling books on leadership, investing, and American history.
This special program offers a rare opportunity to hear one of the country’s foremost civic and cultural leaders reflect on the ideas that continue to define the American experiment.
SCHIAPARELLI: FASHION BECOMES ART
THURSDAY, JULY 9 | 5 PM
Join us for a special conversation exploring Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art, the landmark exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Featuring: Lydia Caston, Curator, Victoria and Albert Museum
Hosted by Jamee Gregory & Audrey Gruss
KEN AULETTA
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 | 5 - 7 PM
On Wednesday, July 15, acclaimed journalist and author Ken Auletta will be interviewed by Maureen Dowd at Southampton Arts Center for an engaging and wide-ranging conversation on politics, media, culture, and the personalities shaping today’s America.
Led by Dowd in conversation with Auletta, the evening will explore subjects he has profiled throughout his celebrated career — the good, the bad, and the ugly — including Donald Trump, power, influence, journalism, and the ever-evolving American political landscape. Insightful, candid, and timely, this special event brings together two of the nation’s most influential voices for a compelling summer evening discussion.