PechaKucha is the Japanese word for the “sound of conversation.” It is also a term for a certain presentation style in which the presenter shows 20 images for 20 seconds, each. The 20×20 format was conceived by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, both architects, in 2003 and has since been adopted by many organizations and individuals worldwide under the name “PechaKucha Night.” According to PechaKucha’s official site, these creative, informal presentations have taken place in clubs, bars, beer gardens, churches, swimming pools, prisons no longer in use, and even a quarry.
The upcoming PechaKucha Night on Friday, December 8 will take place at a museum–specifically the Parrish Art Museum–and will be the twenty-second PechaKucha Night hosted there. The sold-out event will feature artist Linda Capello, artist Andrea Cote, artist/photographer Jeremy Dennis, horticulturist/arborist Alex Feleppa, certified planner Sara Gordon, music journalist Christian John Wikane, artist Peter Solow, and photographer Eric Striffler,
Linda Capello, a master of figurative drawing, is a graduate of FIT and has worked in the New York City fashion industry for over two decades. Andrea Cote is a photographer who works with multiple mediums. She also teaches at The Watermill Center and has created community-based projects in the East End. Photographer Jeremy Dennis is a Southampton native who was raised on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
Horticulturist Alex Feleppa grew up in Amagansett and blends his love for the ocean and surfing with photography. Planning and conservation consultant Sara Gordon has decades of experience with local land use and is a consulting planner at an educational farm on Shelter Island. Peter Solow is an artist and art teacher who has work featured in the collections at the National Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Photographer Eric Striffler has experience shooting interior and fashion in both the Hamptons and New York City. Finally, there is music journalist Christian John Wikane, a contributing editor for PopMatters who has interviewed major musicians such as Paul McCartney and Paul Simon.
“I am pleased to kick off the Parrish’s fall season with a fascinating mix of PechaKucha presenters from the East End – from artists and designers to scientists and affordable housing expert,” said Corinne Erni, the Curator of Special Projects.
According to the museum, the purpose of PechaKucha is to “introduce the creative community to each other through a series of short format slide presentations.” While presentations occur in hundreds of cities globally, the museum’s event will have its presenters discuss the creative experience of living on the East End.
The presentations begin at 6 p.m., with each one lasting 6 minutes and 40 seconds. The first PechaKucha Night at the museum took place in October 2011, and the December 8 event will be the fourth iteration for 2017. Tickets are free for members, children, and students, and $12 for other individuals. While the event is sold out, an in person waiting list will begin at 5 p.m. on the day of the event.
The Parrish Art Museum’s mission is to “foster connections among individuals, art, and artists through care and interpretation of the collection, the presentation of exhibitions, publications, educational initiatives, programs, and artists-in-residence.”
Parrish Art Museum is located at 279 Montauk Highway in Water Mill. For more information, please visit parrishart.org.