Around the Island

Brigham’s mosaics topic of Chapel talk

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY CLERKIN HIGGINS | The Mrs. Merrill or Sunset window, created by Walter Cole Brigham, which was installed in the Chapel of the Brooklyn Home for the Aged in 1915.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY CLERKIN HIGGINS | The Mrs. Merrill or Sunset window, created by Walter Cole Brigham, which was installed in the Chapel of the Brooklyn Home for the Aged in 1915.

Union Chapel in the Grove will remember and celebrate Independence Day in conjunction with the Shelter Island Historical Society at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 3 at an interdenominational service of worship.

Historical Society members will participate in the service and Beth Auman, researcher into the life and work of Walter Cole Brigham, will speak about the artist. Her talk is entitled “Brigham’s Marine Mosaics: The Consecration of Common Things” and will highlight the Chapel’s beautiful Brigham windows.

Ms. Auman has been researching and writing about Walter Cole Brigham since 2014. Her curiosity was piqued by a real estate ad for his former home that mentioned his paintings and marine mosaics, such as the striking and unusual Union Chapel windows. Initially, the marine mosaics appealed to her interest in art and love of the seashore.

As she researched the artist and his works, she discovered many surprising and interesting images, documents and connections. She continues to enjoy uncovering the many stories behind the works, family, life and times of this significant and original artist who she believes deserves to be more widely known and appreciated.

Ms. Auman was born in Schenectady and grew up in Great Neck, North Haven, Connecticut and Philadelphia. She spent most summers on the East End of Long Island, first in a cottage on Fishers Island, then in Southold near Corey Creek, and more recently on Shelter Island.

After graduating cum laude from Yale College with a B.A. in Philosophy, she worked in New York as a kindergarten and art teacher, the head of legal assistants in a large corporate law firm, and as a human resources manager, among other positions.

Ms. Auman is also a painter and over the years has taken many art courses, mostly at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan. She lives in Florida with her husband and 12 year-old daughter, and returns to Shelter Island as often as possible during the warm months.

Baritone Thom Milton will return to Union Chapel to sing works by Jean Sibelius and Dale Wood, accompanied by Chapel Organist Linda Betjeman.

A local resident, Mr. Milton has served as a cantor at Our Lady of the Isle Church and has been a featured soloist at both Union Chapel and the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church. He has performed throughout the East End and has sung with the Shelter Island Community Chorus, Perlman Music Program, Choral Society of the Hamptons and the Peconic Bay Masterworks Choir.

Provided by Union Chapel