Southampton Arts Center Presents Beverly Willis & Women Who Built New York Film + Panel

Southampton Arts Center (SAC) is pleased to announce a special AIA Films screening celebrating Women’s History Month and the powerful contributions of women to the built environment. The screening will take place on Tuesday, March 31^st, from 6:00 – 8:30 pm. 

The program marks the fourth annual film event presented in collaboration with AIA Peconic, A Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, continuing a tradition of exploring architecture and design through film and conversation.

The evening will feature two films highlighting the work and legacy of pioneering architect Beverly Willis. Unknown New York: The City That Women Built, written and directed by Willis, is a dynamic 20-minute documentary showcasing 234 Manhattan projects designed, engineered, or developed by women. Through vivid imagery and historical narrative, the film celebrates the often-overlooked role women have played in shaping New York City’s rich and complex urban fabric.

The program will also include The Architect Beverly Willis: San Francisco and New York Years 1958-1995, part of the film series Beverly Willis: The Artist and the Architect. The film traces Willis’s evolution from a multimedia artist to a pioneering architectural designer whose work spans residential, commercial, institutional, and civic projects across the United States.

“We have enjoyed our past collaborations with AIA, spotlighting women architects and their contributions, especially during Women’s History Month”, said Christina Mossaides Strassfield, Executive Director of the Southampton Arts Center.

Following the screening, a panel discussion with architects and design professionals will explore Willis’s legacy, the history of women in architecture, and the continued impact of their work on our cities today. The panel will be moderated by Viola Rouhani, a partner at Stelle Lomont Rouhani Architects, a leading design firm based in Bridgehampton, New York.

2 AIA learning units (2 AIA LU) are also available to participants of the event. These may be applied to architecture licensure.

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“Southampton Arts Center is committed to building community through the arts.  It presents and produces inspiring, inclusive, socially and regionally relevant programs across all disciplines, – welcoming, connecting, and collaborating with diverse members of New York’s East End community and beyond.  It does this through presenting year-round programming to and for its community: exhibitions, films, theater, music, classes, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, and tours.  It also acts as a museum, presenting curated shows, preserving its collection and its historic building for future generations.”