Category Archives: Arts Programs

Sylvester Manor in Print

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This rich history of Sylvester Manor is being showcased this spring in articles, books, and photographs featuring the Manor.

March

Preservation Magazine, the quarterly magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will feature an article about Sylvester Manor by Nate Schweber, with photos taken during Plant & Sing by Steve Gross and Sue Daley. 

April

SLAVERY BEFORE RACE: Europeans, Africans, and Indians on Shelter Island’s Sylvester Manor Plantation, 1651-1884, by archaeologist Katherine Howlett Hayes, NYU Press.

FARMHOUSE REVIVAL, coffee table book by Steve Gross and Sue Daley, Harry N. Abrams.

Clinton Curtis and Della Mae!

A big thank you to everyone who joined us at Saturday night’s concert.  It was amazing to have DuneGrass, Della Mae, and guest artist Clinton Curtis all on stage during an amazing night of bluegrass music.

Since its start in the 1940s, bluegrass has taken three distinct cultural music forms—gospel blues, jazz, and Scotch-Irish fiddle music—and melded them together into a uniquely American artform.

In a similar way, Sylvester Manor has served as a melting pot in which the traditions and technologies of the many people who have worked and lived on this historic plantation have combined in unexpected ways.

We’re continuing that tradition of interaction at the Manor today—working to preserve, cultivate, and share a culture that links history, a sense of place, and art in everyday life.

This concert is one small part of that effort, and we hope to see you all again soon at our next event!

Clinton Curtis and Della Mae

Film Screening: The Sugar Connection

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The documentary film The Sugar Connection: Holland, Barbados, Shelter Island shows Long Island’s participation in the 17th century global trade by the Sylvester family of Shelter Island.  Directed by Suffolk County Archaeological Association Executive Director Dr. Gaynell Stone, the film chronicles seven years of archaeological excavations at Sylvester Manor led by Dr. Stephen Mrozowski of UMass Boston, whose team unearthed over 500,000 artifacts, complimenting the thousands of family papers and primary documents archived by the family.

Monday, February 11, 2013 1pm at the Farmingville Town Hall at One Independence Hill, Farmingville, NY.  This screening is presented through a collaboration of the Town of Brookhaven and the Suffolk County Archaeological Association.  The program is free of charge, but please RSVP to brussell@brookhaven.org or at 631.451.8038.

Friday, March 1, 2013 7pm at the Shelter Island Public Library at 37 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, NY. This screening is presented through a collaboration of Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, The Shelter Island Public Library, and The Shelter Island Historical Society.

Bluegrass Concert Sold Out!

TICKETS to the BLUEGRASS CONCERT are sold out!

To put your name on the waiting list please call  631.749.0626.

The concert will be held at 7:30 pm on Saturday, January 19th at the Shelter Island School Auditorium on North Ferry Road and will feature the East End’s own DuneGrass and Boston-based  Della Mae.  The annual bluegrass concert is made possible through support from the Shelter Island Town Recreation Department.

Della Mae Poster FINAL-02

DELLA MAE’S lineup is a who’s-who of promising young pickers including lead singer Celia Woodsmith, guitarist Courtney Hartman, bass player Shelby Means, mandonlinist Jenni Lyn Gardner, and two-time National Fiddle Champion Kimber Ludiker.  These seasoned performers have won countless contests and shared the stage with the likes of Willie Nelson, Del McCoury, Leon Russell, and Laurie Lewis.

DUNEGRASS has been together for almost ten years, performing an eclectic repertoire to audiences at festivals, concerts and contra dances all over the East End of Long Island.  Bandmates Dan Skabeikis, Lisa Shaw, Tom Hashagen, and Sandra Chapin joined us at  Plant & Sing this past October and we’re so excited to have them back as this year’s opening act.

Junior Garden Club plants daffodils at Sylvester Manor

On an unseasonably balmy Tuesday, December 4th, Sylvester Manor hosted the Youth Division of the Shelter Island Garden Club in a daffodil planting along Manwaring Road. About 18 young gardeners, Carol Russell of the Shelter Island Garden Club, SM volunteers Janet Roach and Pat Lutkins and SM staff had a great time getting down and dirty to beautify the roadside in front of the farm stand parking area, which will burst into a profusion of yellow blooms come April. We are very grateful to Jerry Siller of Grady Riley Gardens for providing discounted bulbs for the event – thanks, Jerry!

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Carol Russell, a stalwart of the Garden Club and dear friend of Alice Fiske, explained to the gathering that daffodils had always been a particular favorite of Mrs. Fiske, who planted them not only at Sylvester Manor but all over the island for the community to enjoy. She also shared that Alice would smile at the thought of children planting at the Manor, as she had for many years been chair of the Junior Garden Club and was passionate about fostering a love of gardening in the youth of Shelter Island. 

We are so grateful to Carol Russell and the Shelter Island Garden Club, and Margaret Doyle, Sylvester Manor Arts & Education volunteer, for organizing the event, to Steve (the show must go on) Eaton for leading us all on his ukulele in a delightful song about daffodils and springtime, and volunteers Janet and Pat, whose enthusiasm kept us all going.

Enjoy our beautiful daffys as you head to the farm stand come April!

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5/21: Earn a Food Managers Certificate

May 21, 22 and 23
6:30 to 9:30 pm

Associate Public Health Sanitarian Terrence R. O’Riordan will teach the complete Suffolk County Food Managers course over three evenings at the Manor House, and proctor an official county test on the final evening.

Successful participants will be issued a food managers certificate from Suffolk County valid for three years.
Cost $50

Sign-up with Marie Manuella of Sylvester Manor at 749-0626 or at info@sylvestermanor.org by Tuesday, May 15.

Course booklet, instruction and test available in Spanish upon request.

SI School field trips start and Summer Youth Program Early Bird Registration coming to an end!

This past week we had two Shelter Island School classes visit the Manor! The 1st and 3rd graders helped plant new seeds in our greenhouse in addition to peas and potatoes in the field, played math jeopardy and even learned about soil and Sylvester Manor’s soil health and composition. We are looking forward to the 2nd grade this Thursday and 1st – 6th grade in the upcoming month.

Check out the slide show on our field trips page.

In addition : The Summer Youth Programs’ Early Bird Registration ends on April 30th – that’s next Monday! Make sure you get your registration in as soon as possible before the price goes up $50/week.

Click here to find program descriptions and the registration documents.

Skidmore College and The New School Take the Farm by Storm!

This past week we had 20+ volunteers come from both the New School in New York City and Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY to work on the farm with our early spring crew.
Check out the slideshow below to see all they accomplished!

Blue Highway Concert – Bluegrass at its Best

Award-winning bluegrass band “Blue Highway” will perform on Shelter Island on Saturday, January 14, 7:30 pm.  This high-level national act has been wowing crowds since 1994 and features some of America’s most talented pickers and singers.

The original concert was to be at Sylvester Manor last summer, but Hurricane Irene postponed the show.

This time we’ll try the concert in the Shelter Island School auditorium, and nothing will get in the way of an evening of toe-tapping songs and tunes.  Bluegrass enthusiasts will enjoy seeing one of the country’s top acts at the top of their game, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

Proceeds from the concert will benefit Sylvester Manor Educational Farm.

Tickets are $20 and $30 and are moving fast so click below now!

Sign up now to make your own banjo!

Learn the craft of banjo making at this unique weekend workshop held at the magnificent and historic grounds of Sylvester Manor, Shelter Island, NY.

Using a watch & do approach, noted banjo builder and teacher Jeff Menzies will guide you step by step as you make the pot, craft the neck, and stretch the skin on a gourd banjo.  You don’t need to be a woodworker, or know how to play the banjo to enjoy this week-long workshop.  But you will end up with a piece of art of highest quality and warmest feeling- as nice on stage as it is in the living room.  In the end, you will leave energized, having spent a week in a beautiful place, with a smile on your face and your own banjo tucked under your arm.

22 – 27 AUGUST 2011
Monday through Saturday
9AM  - 5PM  //   $600

 

 

To reserve a spot in this extraordinary six-day class, send your check for $600 to Sylvester Manor, PO Box 2029, Shelter Island, NY  11964. For more information, call (631)749-0626 or email info@sylvestermanor.org.

Tenting on the property (free) and limited Manor accommodations (modest cost) available. Reserve early.

Wilderness skills at Sylvester Manor

Afternoon Program
for 8–12 yr old Adventurers
Wilderness Skills Education

How do you sleep outside with no tent?
How do you find water and make sure it is safe to drink?
How do you make a fire with no matches?
What is there to eat growing right by your doorstep?

“Our program may lead into many areas of life, but will never be far from the Earth. Come spend time with us and explore the adventure that answering questions like these will take us on.”- Ben and Chandra, Greensong Wilderness Education
$200/week or $125/day
4 Weeks: Mon & Fri, July 18&22, 25&29 / August 1&5 and 15&19
Developed as series, but individual days OK

For more information, contact Mark Mobius at siecodiscover@gmail.com.

Young Farmers – sign up for fun in the field

Looking for a greener summer program for your kids? Enroll your children ages 7-12 for a week or more in our Young Farmers Program. They’ll learn about the cycles of planting and harvesting; tend vegetable, flower and herb beds; care for chickens; and enjoy workshops with local musicians and artists. Farmers in Training, ages 13-16, are also welcome. Every weekday morning from July 5 through August 26.

$400 per week ($320 four-day week of July 5). To boost our numbers, sibling discounts are now available: enroll one child at full price, sign-up a sibling at half price.

For the registration form, click here. Print it, fill it out and mail it in with your check to P.O. Box 2029, Shelter Island, NY 11964. Or scan your filled out form and email it to Marie at mmanuella@sylvestermanor.org.

  YFP REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Young Farmer Program registration is taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications will be accepted until each session is full, at which time a waiting list will be started.

Registration begins on May 4th 2011. Registration forms may be submitted via mail or email.

Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, ATTN: YFP PO Box 2029 Shelter Island NY 11964

mmanuella@sylvestermanor.org

Each registration form must be complete and accompanied by a full payment. Registration will be confirmed by mail upon receipt of payment. If payment is not submitted with the initial application, Sylvester Manor reserves the right to assign your space to another child.

Please register before June 15, 2011. Withdrawal prior to June 15: 50% refund if space can be filled from our waiting list. If the space cannot be filled, a refund will not be issued.

No refunds will be given after June 15th.

PICK-UP/DROP-OFF

Pick-up is at Sylvester Manor House at 80 North Ferry Road, and drop-off is at Sylvester Manor Farmstand at 21 Manwaring Road.

A written note signed by a parent/guardian is required to release a Young Farmer participant to someone besides a parent/guardian.

Participants and their parents are not allowed onto Manor property before 9:15am. Pick- up is at 12:00PM on Mondays-Thursdays and at 12:30PM on Fridays.

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

YFP runs Monday through Thursday, rain or shine- from 9:15 AM to 12:00 PM, and on Fridays until 12:30 PM.

The week of July 5th-8th will be a four day week due to the July 4th holiday.

All children need to bring a bottle of water to the program every day. Daily snacks and Friday lunch will be prepared from food we harvest.

Sylvester Manor is not a nut-free facility. While we do not use nut products in our craft or cooking projects, we cannot guarantee children will not be exposed to nuts.

If your child has specific allergies, please alert us during the registration process.

Registered participants will receive a release form which must be signed and submitted prior to entering the program.

Children should dress for the weather and plan to be outdoors all morning. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty!

All children must wear closed-toed shoes with socks above the ankles to this program. Flip-flops and sandals are not acceptable for our activities, and participants will not be permitted to go out with their groups if wearing them.

Please note our programs will include time spent in the direct sun. Sunscreen and a hat are highly recommended.

Please remember to label everything you child brings to the farm.

Children are encouraged to explore the farm with their instructors and enjoy their time as young farmers themselves. During this time they are expected to listen carefully and respect the work of our farmers and staff.

Occasionally, Sylvester Manor staff will take pictures of youth activities for use in farm publications and for advertising promotions. Participant’s names will never be used with these photos.

Please call or Email Marie Manuella if you have any questions.

mmanuella@sylvestermanor.org

Phone: 631.749.0626

Sylvester Manor, PO Box 2029, 80 North Ferry Road, Shelter Island, NY 11964 www.sylvestermanor.org

Spring has Sprung

You wouldn’t know it from activity on our site, but we’ve been working hard to bring great food to life!

Anne Callahan sewed up a rip in our greenhouse:

Pea Prep Hijinks

Garden Club visits the Manor

Scallions Emerge!

Plant & Sing 2010

Plant & Sing is a festival of acoustic music, writing, planting, poetry, singing, dancing, storytelling, farming and eating!

Celebrating the culture of food, Plant & Sing is a benefit for Sylvester Manor and its educational programs, which connect the community with history, food and culture.

October 8,9,10 2011

CLICK ON EACH EVENT TO SIGN UP and/or BUY TICKETS!  Please sign up soon as some of these events will sell out.

Community Barn Dance – Friday October 8, 7pm   $10/general $5/students
With their fiddles, banjos, and old-time calls, The Gawler Family will lead the community in a traditional “contra dance.”  These dances leave you smiling and exhilarated, which explains why they were (and still are) an important part of getting people together in small towns across the country.

Food Story Slam w/Kathy Lynch – Friday October 8, 9:30pm   $10 general/$5 students or Free with Admission to Barn Dance
A good food story is hard to beat.  Come tell yours, or just listen and laugh with the rest of us as we re-live kitchen disasters, big-fish tales, and bygone thanksgiving feasts.

Saturday Sunrise Yoga – Saturday October 9, 7am  FREE
Join Heidi Fokine as she helps us limber up and greet the day on the Manor lawn.

Sweet Potato Harvest – Saturday October 9, 9am  FREE
Come join us as we pull pounds and pounds of sweet roots from the ground. Free local lunch for volunteers to follow.

Molly Gawler Modern Dance: “Windmill” - Saturday October 9, 1pm  FREE
Come watch Molly Gawler, of Pilobolus, perform a self-choreographed piece based on our 1810 windmill.

Saturday Afternoon Concerts, Readings & Kids activities @ Manor – Saturday October 9, 2pm  $20 general/$5 students

NEW AND TRADITIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC:

WATERFRONT STAGE:
2pm  Island Folk – Locally inspired, far-reaching folk music

3pm  Baron & Friends – Jazz/Bluegrass mandolin exploratorium

4pm  Joe Hanna – Flatpick Guitar

5pm  Free Seedlings – Bluegrass w/hot young musicians

5.45 Madison Willing and Megan Chaskey
6pm The Gawler Family – Heartfelt fiddle music, songs and stories from New England

BOXWOOD STAGE:
2.30 Tom Hashagen & Lisa Shaw

3.30 Jon Cannon

4.30 Brian Dolphin

7pm Campfire Pop & Sing – Garlic Shucking with participatory worksongs. Separate bulbs into plantable cloves while learning songs for Sunday’s planting.

LITERARY EVENTS IN THE LIBRARY:

2 – 3.30 Place & Possibility – lead by Brad Davis; Poet and Lecturer. This seminar will focus on the Great Authors who have visited the Manor (including Longfellow, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Whittier) and provide time for creative reflection. Bring a pen!

3.30- 4.30 Poetry Readings from Scott Chaskey, Megan Chaskey, Kathy Engel,and Brad Davis

4.30 – 5.30 Readings of Poetry and Memoir – from Magdalene Brandeis, Kathy Lynch, Debbie Siegel and Laura Stein.

6pm “The Happy Journey” – Staged reading of Thornton Wilder’s 1931 classic one-act play of American family life.  Read by Quack Theatrics, directed by Bill Burford of Stony Brook Southampton.

6:30pm One man show – Bill Persky, sitcom creator and writer for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show’ and “That Girl,” recounts personal tales of celebrity and food.

KIDS TENT with SENSIBLE SITTERS:

2pm Potato prints

3pm Goat in a Boat puppet theatre performance

4pm Games on the lawn

FOOD STALLS
from local vendors including Greeny’s wraps and smoothies, mulled cider, and donuts for sale!

***Saturday Evening at Boltax Gallery: ‘Rupture’ brings New York artist Louise Crandell back to Shelter Island for her third solo show. The opening reception is from 6 to 8 pm. This is not an official Plant&Sing event, but profits from the Small Works show currently up at Boltax benefit Sylvester Manor, so we wanted to promote this event as well.

Sunday Sunrise Yoga – Sunday October 10, 7am  FREE
Join Megan Chaskey as she helps us limber up and greet the day in the Manor lawn.

Sunday Garlic Planting & Worksongs - Sunday October 10, 9am  FREE
Join the team as we plant next year’s garlic crop, allthewhile singing worksongs and meeting your neighbors.  Free local lunch to follow for volunteers.