They Did What! Using Genealogy to Uncover Our African American Past
2023-06-17 10:00 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Staten Island Museum at Snug Harbor, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Building A, Staten Island, NY, 10301, United States
Space is limited. Registration required.
Free. Donations welcome.
Light refreshments provided.
Join public historian and professional genealogist Debbie-Ann Paige to answer the question “How do we find our people?” Discover how deeds, census records, letters, and other historic documents help uncover family history. Learn what will be important to future generations while exploring what those who have come before left behind. Participants will gain knowledge about genealogical research tools and methods in order to begin uncovering their own family story.
This program is produced in partnership with the Staten Island Community Alliance as part of the 3rd Annual Juneteenth Festival. Learn more about the festival here.

Vulnerable Landscapes: Artist Talk
2023-10-14 14:00 - 16:00
Free with Museum Admission
Join us for a panel discussion around the relationship between the built and natural environment with James Vincent Brice, Nathan Kensinger, Sarah Nelson Wright, and Nate Dorr whose work is featured in Vulnerable Landscapes. Moderated by Idea Reid.
Idea Reid is a student at Barnard College, dancer, and activist from Staten Island. She co-founded an environmental justice club at her high school, leading rallies, workshops, and climate justice teach-ins with the former NYC Director of Sustainability. Idea fights for climate policy as an intern at the Climate Museum, brings attention to the injustice facing Staten Island’s waterfront as a member of the Environmental Justice Coalition, and conveys her passion for people and the earth through art as a member of the Young Lordes Collective.
Born and raised in NYC, James Vincent Brice is a designer and engineering-scientist pursuing a dual Master of Architecture and Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Before MIT, he worked as a zookeeper and aquarist for the Staten Island Zoo, responsible for the care of both terrestrial and aquatic animal life. Pulling from this professional experience and a BS in Applied Physics (RPI ‘16), he explores the integration of architecture, urban ecology and environmental fluid mechanics. His research focuses on wave-structure interaction and the design of nature-based coastal protection strategies. By applying knowledge of biophysical interactions in aquatic ecosystems to urban waterfront adaptation, he’s investigating how climate-adaptive design can strengthen a multispecies understanding of coastal community resilience.
Nathan Kensinger is an interdisciplinary artist and journalist whose work explores hidden urban landscapes, off-limits industrial structures, forgotten waterways, environmental disasters, and coastal communities endangered by sea level rise and climate change. He has been documenting New York City’s coastline for the past 20 years, and his film Managed Retreat, about the NY State buyout program, was featured in the Staten Island Museum’s exhibit “Yes, And.” His photo essays, films, public art projects and video installations have been exhibited and screened internationally at museums and galleries, including the Museum of the City of New York, Brooklyn Museum, Queens Museum, National Museum of Cinema in Italy, Australian Centre for the Moving Image, and Danish Film Institute. Learn more.
Sarah Nelson Wright is a Brooklyn based artist and educator from the San Francisco Bay Area. She creates media projects about the urban experience that explore the changing city and investigate avenues for intervention. Her work encompasses video, installation, interactive media, and public art.
Her projects have been exhibited internationally in galleries and festivals, including the Queens Museum (NY), Staten Island Museum (NY), Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (New York), Mostra de Artes (Sao Paulo, Brazil), ACVic Center for Contemporary Arts (Vic, Spain), UnionDocs (NY), Art at the BlueLine (NY), Conflux Festival (NY), Dumbo Arts Festival (NY), Proteus Gowanus (NY), AHA Fine Arts (NY), and Radiator Gallery (NY). Learn more.
Nate Dorr’s work seeks out discontinuities, fault lines, and interstitial spaces, all the places where the unseen city springs unexpectedly into view and deep interactions between architecture, environment, history, and socioeconomic systems may be more readily observed. Learn more.
Major sponsorship of Vulnerable Landscapes is provided by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation and by National Grid.
Vulnerable Landscapes is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Veterans Day with Lorna Harris and The (G)eneration Project
2023-11-11 12:00 - 14:30
Free with Museum Admission
Admission is free to active duty and retired veterans with ID and up to 4 family members, year-round
Join us for a day of unity, acknowledgement, and appreciation as we commemorate the enduring spirit of immigrants and veterans with The (G)eneration Project. This remarkable occasion pays heartfelt tribute to Staten Island participants from all branches of the U.S. Military and welcomes guest speaker and devoted American veteran, John McBeth. This day of unity aims to encapsulate the enduring spirit of both immigrants and veterans, fostering connections that transcend backgrounds and origins.
A light brunch, courtesy of Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton will be served. Guests will enjoy performances by the Susan E. Wagner Guitar Ensemble, and the JROTC Color Guard. Participants will discover shared areas of commonality through an afternoon of conversation, community, and art making. Immigrants Are Us: The (G)eneration Project will be proudly hosted by Lorna Harris, an executive producer, cultural advocate, and a valued member of the Staten Island community.

John McBeth
About Guest Speaker John McBeth
John McBeth, a devoted American veteran, hails from three generations of Staten Islanders and embodies a lifelong spirit of service. As a McKee High School alumnus, he commenced his journey by volunteering, nurturing his passion for community and journalism. McBeth proudly served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Nimitz, achieving the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class.
As an American veteran, McBeth continues to contribute to discussions on police reforms and community-police relations, representing the community on panels discussing race, justice, and equality. His work co-founding Staten Island YOUTH4justice, initiating voting-focused marches, and leading discussions on police-community relations reflects his commitment to positive change and community betterment.

New York City, home to a vibrant tapestry of cultures, proudly boasts a foreignborn population representing 38% of its populace and accounting for 46% of the labor force. The (G)eneration Project introduced the concept of (G) Status, ranging from G-0s to G-600, to symbolize the generations individuals or families have resided in the U.S.
This event is made possible by a DCLA Art Fund Grant from Staten Island Arts, with public funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Crafternoons: Resin Suncatchers with Janet Gonzalez
2024-01-13 14:00 - 16:00
$35/$30 Members
Amplify the beauty of the sun during the darkest time of the year in this craft workshop for teens and adults. In this introductory course, students will create a design using pressed botanicals and pigments, pour resin, and use a UV lamp to cure the finished artwork ready for winter windows.
All materials provided. Enjoy coffee and tea while getting creative with your community!

Educator Open House *New Date*
2024-02-08 15:30 - 17:30
Free for Educators, Registration Required
Be among the first to view the Taking Care exhibition and meet the curators! Talk with Museum education staff, mingle with colleagues and discover how the Museum’s collections can support your curriculum. Light refreshments.
Register by calling 718.483.7135 or emailing education@statenislandmuseum.org.

Taking Care: Artists and Scholars Discussion
2024-02-15 18:30 - 20:30
Doors Open at 6:00PM
Limited capacity, registration strongly recommended
$15 adults/$10 members. Free for students
Join artists Elissa Blount Moorhead and Bradford Young (Back and Song) in conversation with scholar advisors Debbie-Ann Paige, Dr. Rita Reynolds, and Lisa Holland for a discussion around their research and participation in Taking Care: The “Black Angels” of Sea View Hospital.
Reception to follow.
Artists
Elissa Blount Moorhead is an artist, mother, and visual storyteller exploring the poetics of Black quotidian life. She has created public art, books, exhibitions, and images for the last 25 years. She creates films and time-based installations, such as Back and Song, As of A Now, and Jay Z’s 4:44 video. Elissa has been recognized with the Sundance Institute | Comedy Central Comedy Fellowship, Saul Zaentz Innovation Fellowship, US Artists Fellowship, Creative Capital Award, and is currently developing a project in the Sundance Episodic Lab.
Artist, director and Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young is known for his artful, poetic and humanistic visual style, as showcased in his cinematography for film and television including Ava DuVernay’s Selma and When They See Us, Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story and Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, for which he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Cinematography in 2017— the first African American to be nominated in that category.
Scholars
Debbie-Ann Paige
Public Historian, Professional Genealogist, and Doctoral student, College of Staten Island, CUNY
Dr. Rita Reynolds
Associate Professor/Chair, History Department, Wagner College
Lisa Holland
Interim Library Director, Wagner College
This program is made possible with support from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Taking Care is made possible by Presenting Sponsor Staten Island University Hospital, by the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, and the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund.

Presentation - A Collaborative Effort in Addressing Black Maternal and Infant Health Disparities
2024-04-12 17:00 - 19:00
Throughout the spring, sorority sisters from Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, Inc., Lambda Chapter mentored nursing students from Curtis High School and facilitated a major research initiative around Black Maternal and Infant Health. The Curtis HS nursing students will present their research in a poster board forum. In addition, a panel of guest speakers and community leaders will discuss Black Women and healthcare and advocacy for improved outcomes in their communities.
This is a collaborative instructional effort undertaken by Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, Inc., Lambda Chapter and the Curtis High School Nursing Department. Generous support was received from the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Richard B. Dickenson Staten Island Chapter and the Staten Island Museum.
