June 30, 2026 · The BlackEvents Team

Sag Harbor's Black Arts + Culture Calendar 2026: HBAC, Eastville, Southampton African American Museum

HBAC's summer group exhibition. The Southampton African American Museum. Eastville Heritage House. The 2026 calendar of Black arts and culture programming on the East End.

Sag Harbor's Black cultural calendar has been building density every year. In 2026, between the Hamptons Black Art Council (HBAC), the Eastville Community Historical Society, and the Southampton African American Museum (SAAM), there's programming for every summer weekend that a first-time visitor could plug into.

Plus the America 250 overlay — 2026 is America's 250th year, and East End institutions are running special anniversary programming that specifically centers Black + Indigenous local history.

Here's the calendar.

The institutions (who's running what)

Before the calendar itself, understand the players:

Hamptons Black Art Council (HBAC) — Founded to elevate Black arts across the East End. Runs the annual summer group exhibition at Eastville Heritage House Museum, commissions installations at Eastville Cemetery, and activates spaces like the David AME Zion Church. blackhamptons.org.

Eastville Community Historical Society — Stewards the history of Sag Harbor's historic Black + Indigenous Eastville neighborhood. Runs walking tours, maintains the Eastville Heritage House Museum, and preserves the David AME Zion Church (an important Underground Railroad site). eastvillehistorical.org.

Southampton African American Museum (SAAM) — 15 minutes west in Southampton. Rotating exhibitions, community programming, and one of the East End's key Black cultural anchors. saamuseum.org.

The Church, Sag Harbor — Converted-church arts venue in Sag Harbor. Not Black-anchored specifically, but Black artists rotate through its programming. thechurchsagharbor.org.

Sag Harbor African American Museum — Under development / early-stage. Watch for opening announcements.

The 2026 calendar

Juneteenth week (June 19 – 26, 2026)

Juneteenth 2026 marks the opening of HBAC's annual group exhibition and the reopening of a key Underground Railroad-era site.

Friday, June 19 — HBAC IT IS WRITTEN in the sand opens at Eastville Heritage House Museum. Presented by Superposition Gallery. On view through December 2026. This is HBAC's annual summer group exhibition — historically the anchor of the East End's Black cultural summer.
HBAC art banners installed at Eastville Cemetery — commissioned weather-resistant banners at a historically significant Black + Indigenous burial ground.
David AME Zion Church reopening — the cornerstone of Eastville's Underground Railroad history, reopened during Juneteenth week 2026.
Community walking tours — self-guided or docent-led through Eastville.

July

Wednesday-Sunday hours at Eastville Heritage House — the HBAC exhibition remains on view; hours vary by week
Friday, July 17 — Damien Davis: Solo Exhibition opens at Southampton African American Museum. A solo show from one of the notable Black contemporary artists working today.
Eastville Walking Tours — offered on scheduled Saturdays through summer; also self-guided year-round
Various SANS-associated fundraisers and community events — many not publicly promoted; ask around when you're on the ground

August

HBAC programming continues — the summer exhibition remains on view, with rotating talks, artist meet-and-greets, and educational programming
SAAM Damien Davis exhibition continues
The Church, Sag Harbor typically has programming worth checking (Black artists rotate through)
Community fundraising galas for SANS-associated causes — check specific organization pages
Sag Harbor Music Festival (dates rotate) — the broader village festival, some Black-forward artists in rotation
The private-party circuit — beach dinners, house parties. Invitation-tier.

September

HBAC exhibitions continue through December — shoulder-season is quieter but the exhibition remains on view
Southampton African American Museum continues Damien Davis and other rotating programming
Sag Harbor Cinema typically runs Black film programming in fall — check current schedule

October – December

HBAC IT IS WRITTEN in the sand remains on view through December — the tail end of the summer exhibition
Winter programming at Eastville, SAAM, and The Church runs through the off-season
The America 250 overlay — expect continued programming through 2026 as institutions run their bicentennial-plus-fifty programming

The America 250 overlay

2026 is America's 250th year. The East Hampton Historical Society, along with the Town Historian and local Black + Indigenous history institutions, are running a full year of programming that centers Sag Harbor's specific place in American history.

Expect:

Talks and panels on Sag Harbor's Black + Indigenous history
Special exhibitions on the Underground Railroad connections
The David AME Zion Church reopening (already noted) as an America 250-linked event
Programming that positions SANS within the larger American story

Check East Hampton Historical Society programming calendars for the specific dates.

What's worth traveling for

If you're planning a trip specifically for arts and culture:

HBAC's opening weekend (Juneteenth week, June 19+) — the summer's biggest cultural moment for Black East End
Damien Davis at SAAM (opening July 17) — the solo exhibition worth a specific weekend
Fall shoulder-season visit — the exhibitions remain up but the crowds thin; the best time for a slower, more considered engagement

For non-community visitors

Everything on this calendar is publicly accessible. HBAC exhibitions are free. SAAM has admission (with member discounts). Eastville walking tours are open to anyone. The David AME Zion Church, when open, is publicly accessible.

You don't need to know anyone or be a SANS resident to attend arts programming. This is where a first-time Sag Harbor visitor can actually plug in.

Etiquette at exhibitions

Standard museum + exhibition rules apply:

Ask before photographing artworks — some artists don't allow it
Respect quiet spaces in exhibitions and historical buildings
Read the exhibition text. HBAC and SAAM invest real curatorial work; the wall text is worth reading
Donate if you can. Small institutions run on donations; even $20 matters

How to stay updated

@blackhamptons on Instagram — HBAC programming announcements
Eastville Historical Society calendar — eastvillehistorical.org
SAAM socials + newsletter — saamuseum.org
The East Hampton Star — the local paper of record, covers cultural events
BlackEvents.us — NY events — the always-current listing

Coming to Sag Harbor for the arts? Browse Black events in NY → for weekend programming.

The exhibitions are on. The doors are open. Come.