Chloe Kostman

Chloe will be leading a morning “all levels” yoga class. These classes will be grounding and calming, with unique and accessible flows designed to find balance and openness. Start your day with an open mind, spirit and body. The goal is to facilitate a supportive and judgment free zone that is rooted in the belief that movement and breath are healing both for the self and in community. Start your morning with some movement and breath to the sound of the seagulls and the ocean. See you on the porch :) 

Adam Podd

Let’s sing together —  every day — for a whole week — surrounded by the singular natural beauty of Star Island!

Whether this is your first time singing with others or you’ve spent years in choir rehearsals of one kind or another, you’ll find yourself right at home, making vibrant music, learning by doing, and connecting with a generous, joyful community through song.

Adam Podd is a Brooklyn-based musician and composer with more than two decades of church, choral, and collaborative music-making experience. As Music Director at First Unitarian Church of Brooklyn, he leads the choir, and plays organ and piano, creating musical experiences that blend classical, traditional, jazz, gospel, and folk influences. Adam is equally comfortable with a group of amateur volunteers, and no plan at all, as he is with seasoned professional singers, polishing a meticulous choral masterwork.

Hally McGeahan
Layering photography, typography, poetry, and sound to create a short film inspired by Star Island

Participants will make their own short film by layering their own still photography, words, typography, and sound design, all on their phones. Elements will be created in real time on-island. Prompts will be given in each session to promote skills and creativity for each layer. No experience is necessary!

Filmmakers will need a smartphone (Apple or Android) and will be required to download the CapCut app which we will use for all of our editing. Phones will be employed around the island only as cameras and we will only be staring at them together in our group space. 

This workshop is best suited to participants looking for a week-long project and who are excited about becoming proficient in the editing software and either finding or honing their creativity. 

Please enjoy this sample, “Ordinance,” made with photographs and a soundtrack from my home in the Hudson Valley, brought together with the CapCut app. “Ordinance” Sample Film

David Whitford

Join us this summer as we carry on a LOAS1 tradition that began in 2012. Each day, we will read and discuss one or two notable examples of long-form magazine journalism or short fiction—connected, however tenuously, to this year’s theme, A More Perfect Union. I will provide daily assignments chosen with the reading habits of porch-rockers and rock-sitters in mind.

Together, we will consider questions of craft, execution, and meaning, always striving to connect what we read to the distinctive wisdom and lived experience each of us brings to the island. Full texts will gradually become available HERE, though I typically do not finalize the lineup until a couple of weeks before we gather. I will bring a limited number of hard copies, but participants are encouraged to print their own or download digital versions.

Looking forward, as always.

Bowie and Jeff Barnett-Zunino

Join us for a fun and relaxing series of art workshops where you’ll learn the art of Découpage— a technique for decorating surfaces like glass, wood, and more. In this class, we will be making découpage under glass, using historical imagery from Star Island, our own personal archives, and more. 

We will visit Vaughn Cottage Museum and Library, do independent research, and scan images from historical Marine and Botanical textbooks. Participants are also encouraged to bring their own archives either as scans or as original images that we will scan on the island and print on découpage paper. 

Guided by Wassaic Project Founders, Bowie and Jeff Barnett-Zunino, you’ll design, and create stunning works of art under a glass plate that at the end of the week you will be able to bring home to hang on your wall, use as a functional object, or give as a gift. 

This is a perfect opportunity to get creative, meet new people, and enjoy a supportive and creative environment while making beautiful art! 

Registration is required and there is a $35 material fee per person.

Ken Keech

In this organically developing workshop, Ken Keech will use dialogue, theater and improvisational techniques to develop a group mind amongst participants. We will sharpen our minds and bodies, all while learning things about each other we might never have known, despite many of us having long-time connections. Most importantly, workshop participants will experience joy through our guided games and activities. Please expect to participate verbally and physically and experience real emotions stemming from activities that might seem pretty silly to an outside observer. All ages and physical abilities are welcomed and anticipated! So, take off that "cool suit" and get ready to cultivate joy!