Farmingville, NY - On the evening of June 7, Councilwoman Valerie Cartright and her daughter Noelle (pictured at left) showed their support by visiting “A Wishful Gesture,” a peaceful installation of the Three Village Community’s support for Black Lives and unity in our nation.
The organizers have invited people to share wishes of love, peace, and hope by placing flowers, plants, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and messages in the courtyard at Gallery North. If you would like to participate, please leave your peaceful gestures either around the wishbone sculpture on the lawn between Gallery North (90 North Country Road in Setauket) and the Studio at Gallery North (84 North Country Road in Setauket,) or along the cedar fence that faces North Country Road directly adjacent to the lawn.
“I was pleased to be contacted by organizers Annemarie Waugh and Tali Hinkis about this project,” said Councilwoman Cartright. “In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the systemic racism and discrimination that has plagued our country for centuries, there is no better time than now to direct our energy towards peaceful demonstrations and meaningful legislative and policy change. I have a great deal of respect for the artists and community members who are participating in this beautiful piece of installation art. I was proud to show my daughter such a positive example of people using their individual talents to highlight what our communities need and make our voices heard.”
“’A Wishful Gesture’ is a peaceful symbol of the Three Village Community’s support for Black Lives and unity in our nation. As an artist, I wanted to do something thoughtful and sensitive in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and I feel this memorial/installation at Gallery North is a wonderful peaceful gesture for the Three Village Community,” stated Annemarie Waugh.
“A week ago I went to a local protest. I have been practicing pretty extreme social distancing for a while to keep my family and the community safe. It occurred to me that many of my neighbors might not be comfortable being in large groups but that they, too, wanted to make their voice heard and stand up for justice and unity,” said Tali Hinkis. “Memorials are always a powerful site, and as an artist, I am frequently drawn to the raw emotions and spontaneous actions on display at protests and memorials. Cardboards, handwritten statements, catchy phrases, abundance of flowers are a visual vocabulary of historical times of political and social change, pain, and solidarity. Art and culture, in my view, reflect our society, and so the memorial/installation of ‘A Wishful Gesture’ came together in Gallery North, a place for art and for our community.”
For more information about “A Wishful Gesture,” please contact Tali Hinkis at thinkis@gmail.com or Annemarie Waugh at amg253@gmail.com. For more information about Gallery North.
Please note, the organizers ask that you not attach any items to the buildings of Gallery North or the wishbone sculpture. To encourage safety, when making an addition to this memorial, please wear a mask and stand six feet apart. Please also respect Gallery North’s current guidelines limiting gatherings to no more than 10 people. Gallery North is also not responsible for the care of items placed on the property as part of the installation and may remove anything it feels inappropriate or unsuitable as a peaceful gesture.