Fast, Live Watercolor Portraits by Local Artist Sara Marie Martin
Here’s a great gift idea for Mothers Day. Sara Marie Martin, a local artist, will paint your live portrait in watercolor within 10 minutes on Thursday, April 9, from 11:00 to 4:00 pm in the planetarium lobby of the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum.
$20 per 5 x 7-inch painting. You can include up to four people per painting.
Payable via cash or Venmo on-site
*General admission required.
Mindful Art with Erica Settino
Join local poet, author, and activist Erica Settino for an intimate event drawing from her poetry chapbook, The Life Forest, a collection exploring her late-diagnosed autism and ADHD, reverence for nature, and the wild roots of creativity. The gathering will be conversational, educational, and experiential.
We’ll begin with selected readings and an honest discussion about neurodivergence, identity, and reclaiming creativity as a means of personal expression later in life. Then we’ll move into a gentle, guided mindful arts workshop where you’ll be invited to create from your own inner landscape—no artistic experience required.
All are welcome.
April 19
10 am-12 pm
$25 Aduts & Youth 11+/$22.50 Members
REGISTER
Arrizza Under the Stars
Performed LIVE at the Reichert Planetarium
Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 7:00 pm
$35 pre-purchase | $30 for museum members | $40 at the door
Purchase Tickets
Arrizza Under the Stars is a one-night-only live concert experience inside the Reichert Planetarium—featuring local, award-winning composer and musician Yannaki Arrizza, performing music inspired by his albums, Astronomia and Voyage to Eternity.
Arrizza’s sound is a cinematic blend of brilliant electronic soundscapes: shimmering digital textures, warm analog synthesizers, and pulsing modern production that evokes the bold synth tones of ’70s and ’80s science-fiction films, while venturing into deeper electronic and ambient realms. The music feels thought-provoking, hopeful, mysterious, and moody—perfectly suited for a journey beyond the everyday.
And in the planetarium, the visuals don’t just accompany the music—they become part of the performance. Under our cutting-edge fulldome projection system, you’ll be surrounded by sweeping cosmic landscapes, original 3D fulldome artwork, starfields, and deep-space wonders—plus vibrant laser effects cutting through a gentle haze for an unforgettable, otherworldly atmosphere.
This is a true planetarium-exclusive event and a single, special performance you can only experience at the Reichert Planetarium.
CDs and merchandise will be available for purchase after the show.
Reichert Planetarium Director Dave Bush says, “We are thrilled to be working with Yannaki. He is such a motivated and talented artist. His music is a perfect match for the planetarium. It has been so much fun creating and combining the images and lasers to accompany such an incredible piece of musical work. I have personally become a fan! The audience is in for an amazing experience.***
Yannaki Arrizza was born and raised in a diverse, multi-ethnic background where art and music were abundant in his life. Yannaki is a self-taught Latin/New Age/World guitarist and multi-instrumental artist based in the Long Island, N.Y. area. He learned his craft during his formative years as a growing musician. His first love was the guitar, and grew out of listening to a variety of Latin American, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern music. He later built upon a repertoire of Spanish guitar combined with the sounds of New Age and Electronic music.
Eventually, Yannaki began to dabble with keyboards and synthesizers. With influences ranging from Yanni, Jean-Michel Jarre, Kitaro, and Tangerine Dream, he created a unique combination of Spanish guitar and electronic instrumentation that would dominate his future releases. His synth-oriented music is described as chill Electronica with New Age instrumentation and sensibility combined with the otherworldly sounds and textures of science fiction.
“The Astronomia album was born out of my deep, heartfelt love of space, a dedication to the sheer grandeur and beauty of the sacred cosmos. I am so excited to perform at the Reichert Planetarium. My wish is to share the experience with you all. The combination of my spacey otherworldly selections and the cutting-edge fulldome video technology the planetarium provides will create an exclusive, one-of-a-kind spectacle. It will dazzle the senses and create an excitement and wonder that will bring joy to one’s heart.” -Yannaki Arrizza
Survival Skills with Mike Evans
The Vanderbilt Museum is excited to offer Wilderness Survival with Mike Evans. Learn how people throughout history found shelter, water, warmth, and calm in the wild — and rediscover how those same skills can make modern camping, hiking, and time outdoors safer and more rewarding.
Workshops are taught in a supportive, low-risk environment with a focus on education, curiosity, and connection. Perfect for beginners, families, and lifelong learners who want to feel more confident and capable outdoors.
Saturdays | 2:00 pm
$40 Guests/$36 Vanderbilt Museum Members
Click on dates for workshop descriptions.
April 18: Shelters
May 16: Wayfinding
June 13: Edgecraft/Tools
July 11: Foraging
August 8: Primitive Firecraft
September 19: Modern Firecraft
A Journey Into the Art, Science, and History of the Written Word
ScribeCraft is a four-part creative adventure through the world of traditional writing arts. Each session explores a different ancient skill—from making your own writing materials to shaping the pages, scrolls, and bindings that once carried stories across centuries.
Every workshop stands alone, offering a fun hands-on project you can jump into at any point, and together they form a complete path from raw materials to finished works you craft yourself.
Whether you join us for one session or experience the entire series, ScribeCraft invites you to slow down, experiment, and rediscover the joy of making something meaningful with your own hands.
Adults & Youth 12+
$40 | $36 Museum Members
Click on Dates for Session Details
