All the Arts at UCSI presents events throughout the church year in the Fellowship Hall and Church Sanctuary. Each spring the Unitarian Church of Staten Island holds an Annual Arts Festival, hosting exhibits of works by Staten Island artists, photographers and craftspersons. These shows are hung in rotating exhibits in the Sanctuary and are open to the public. In addition, works by poets and playwrights are staged in the church Fellowship Hall.

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Upcoming Arts Festival Events:

June 1st, June 2nd, at 8:00 p.m.

Sunday June 3rd at 7:00 p.m.

Playwrights Forum

Each evening on the first weekend in June, the work of a Staten Island author will be presented in a staged reading in the UCSI Fellowship Hall followed by a talkback. The dates and times are: Friday June 1st and Saturday June 2nd, at 8:00 p.m. and on Sunday June 3rd at 7:00 p.m.

The event is co-sponsored with Staten Island Playwrights Collective

Admission is $10.00. Admission is free for additional performances if you present the program from the previous evening’s presentation.

Recent Events

UCSI Arts Program Committee Presents
2012 Spring Arts Festival

“Cabaret Night” opens the
Annual Arts Festival on Saturday, May 12

The Arts Program Committee of The Unitarian Church of Staten Island (UCSI) announces the opening of the 2012 Arts Festival on Saturday, May 12 at 9:00 p.m. with an evening of cabaret in the UCSI Fellowship Hall, 312 Fillmore Street.  Mike Veezman will MC the evening.

The Fellowship Hall doors will open at 8:30 p.m. The entertainment begins at 9:00 with Staten Island performers bringing you an evening of song. There will be a cash bar with wine, beer, & soft drinks.

The performers will include Rina Sklar, who sings with Flesh Junkies at Adobe Blues; Tina Barone, actor, singer, director who recently auditioned for "The Voice", and Eric Petillo, Wagner College drama major & playwright. Other performers include, Terry Veezman, Brooke Haramija, Jill Huckle, John Bostrom, Joseph Smith, Maria Clemente and John Adrian. Mike Veezman is the MC for the evening

The $15.00 admission charge will benefit the Ben Jacobs Performing Arts Fund.

The Ben Jacobs Performing Arts Fund was established to upgrade the Unitarian Church of Staten Island's Fellowship Hall facilities. A full set of blackout shades have been installed; eight new lighting instruments are hung and ready to use, with the necessary dimmers, cables and ancillary equipment. Further additions will include wireless headsets and an upgraded sound system.

Friday June 3 through Sunday June 5, 2011

New Playwrights Forum

The Unitarian Church of Staten Island [UCSI] will again close out its Spring Arts Festival with the New Playwrights Forum, dramatic readings of a drama, a comedy, and a dramedy, followed by a discussion with the playwrights about their works. All three plays were selected by members of the Staten Island Playwrights Collective [SIPC] which co-sponsors this event.

Friday, June 3rd, will showcase “The Land of Nod”, a drama by Morna Murphy Martell, directed by Jodi Garda; Saturday, June 4th, “The Placebo Effect” , a comedy by Helene Montagna, directed by Tina Barone, and Sunday, June 5th, “The Elephant” by Kate Howard, directed by Nikki Lauren.

All plays are presented at the UCSI’s church hall, 312 Fillmore Street, Staten Island, 10301 which is wheelchair accessible. Curtain time is 8:00pm on Friday and Saturday, 7:00pm on Sunday. Suggested donation is $10.00. Audience members who pay for one production can return for the others without further charge showing a copy of their program and refreshments will be available.

Brother Sun

Sunday, May 22, 7 p.m.

Brother Sun Concert

Pat Wictor, Greg Greenway, and Joe Jencks, the trio that makes up Brother Sun, performed in our church sanctuary. Their harmonies have been described as being as " warm as a campfire, stirring as a gospel church, rousing as a call to arms." Their style includes, gospel, blues, and folk.

"Other Media" Opens 42nd UCSI Spring Arts Festival

Exhibit by S.I. Artist Steve Nutt, Saturday, April 16

James Ceribello and Mary Hernandez

The UCSI Arts Program Committee presents its 42nd Spring Arts Festival. The opening event, celebrating “Other Media”, was held in the church sanctuary on Saturday, April 16 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm and was enhanced by live piano music by jazz pianist David Jones.

The stunning exhibit of diverse works by noted Staten Island artist Steve Nutt will be displayed throughout the 19th century sanctuary through June 19th.

David Jones at the piano, beneath a display of Steve Nutt's handcrafted rugs

Works beyond pottery

While Mr. Nutt’s pottery has been known and appreciated for some time, “Other Media” highlights originally designed full sized hooked rugs, paintings, painted tiles, photography and prints.

The artist says, “My interest in rugs connects to my father and mother, who teamed up to obtain and process the materials, select the designs, and make small rugs and wall hangings in the traditional Early American manner.”

“Other Media” will remain in the Sanctuary through June 19th and can best be appreciated on Sunday mornings before services begin at 10:45 a.m.

Portraits of the artist by the artist

Mike Stein with Steve Nutt

The artist discusses his work

David Jones plays jazz

UCSI Arts Events for 2011

The Arts Program Committee sponsors arts events throughout the year, but creates special events each Spring always opening with a free event as a gift to the community.

As part of this year’s Arts Festival the Staten Island Playwrights’ Collective will present the Playwrights’ Forum featuring three original plays on June 3rd, 4th, and 5th, while “Shades of Lavender” short plays by Lawrence F. Schwabacher will be on tap on June 17th, 18th, and 19th in celebration of Gay Pride Month.

Arts Committee members Harvey Rosenfit and Larry Schwabacher with Aileen Vassar (seated) and Committe Co-chair Patricia Murphy

SeptemberFest, September 25, 2010

32 Can Mandala Photo courtesy of Mary Campbell

All the Arts at UCSI invites you to attend SeptemberFest, an event that begins with the creation of a Mandala by artist Mary Campbell and culminates in a concert by the Touch of Brass ensemble in the Church Sanctuary, on Saturday, September 25 at the Unitarian Church of Staten Island.

Creation of the Mandala

Using cans of food, Mary Campbell will create a Mandala, which can be viewed from 1:00 to 4:00 pm and again from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the UCSI Parish Hall on Fillmore Street, one block east of Snug Harbor. There is no charge for admission to this viewing.

The work, supported by a Puffin Grant and a generous donation of canned foods from the Shop Rite Supermarket on Hylan Blvd, will then be dismantled and the food donated to local food pantries. Welcome donations of additional cans of food will be arranged on a special table for later distribution.

Touch of Brass Concert

SeptemberFest continues at 8:00pm in the Church Sanctuary where the Touch of Brass ensemble will perform a horn concert, featuring bright familiar classics and popular brassy pieces. Light refreshments will be offered during the intermission.  Tickets at the door are $15.00 per person and $25.00 per couple.

All are invited to celebrate the season and to help your neighbors with non-perishable food donations at the Unitarian Church of Staten Island.

Viva Voce Brass & Woodwind Ensemble

Previous Events

September 2009 through June 2010

In the 2009-10 church year, the arts committee extended its activities to included art-centered events for church members.

Reclaiming the Goddess Within Us

A two-part workshop created & coordinated by Risa Anderson.

• Saturday November 7, 2009. Part One: Journey Outward. A visit to the Brooklyn Museum to see the Judy Chicago’s “Dinner Party” exhibit.
• Saturday February 6, 2010. Part Two: Journey Inward. An art workshop for all ages, to transform a traditional 11” fashion doll into a Goddess, Spirit, or Heroine. The committee supplied the art supplies and the dolls. The participants ranged in age from thee years to those over 50. Parents brought children; groups of girlfriends attended, as did singles and several couples without children.

Family & Friends Collage Workshop

Sunday November 15, 2009. People were invited to bring photos to create a collage of their family members and friends. Stephen Nutt, coordinator of the event, was on hand to help with their work. Eighteen framed 8 ½ x 11 collages were hung in the Sanctuary from November 15 until December 27, 2009.

Christine Johnson at the "Seen Through the Trees" Exhibit

“Seen Through the Trees” Photographic Exhibit

Sunday March 21, 2010 marked the opening of a photo exhibit by the Creative Photographers Guild, which hung in the Sanctuary until May 24, 2010.

Arts Festival 2010: “A Touch of Brass”

Viva Voce Brass & Woodwind Quintet

Saturday April 17, 2010. Viva Voce opened the annual festival with a concert in the Sanctuary.

Shakespeare’s Birthday

Friday April 23, 2010. In honor of William Shakespeare’s 446th birthday, Morna Martell coordinated an event in which people either read or performed their favorite Shakespeare piece or presented their original pieces inspired by his work.

New Playwrights Forum co-sponsored with Staten Island Playwrights’ Collective

• Friday May 14, 2010. “Ghosts of Monte Cristo” by Helene Montagna.
• Saturday May 15, 2010. “The Life & Death of Blair Henderson” The performance included monologues written by church members Diane Matyas, Morna Murphy Martell, Susan Irene Master, Patricia Murphy and Lawrence F. Schwabacher.
• Sunday May 17, 2010, “Saying Goodbye by Robert Carito”.

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