East End Seaport Museum leader Erin Kimmel marks first year with Bug Light restoration, new programs

In her first year leading the East End Seaport Museum, Erin Kimmel has focused on preserving what Greenport already has — while trying to make the museum a more active part of the community around it.

That has meant overseeing the restoration of historic Bug Light, protecting the museum building and reorganizing its collection. But the curator and art historian is also looking ahead, with plans for film screenings paired with science talks and a community boatbuilding and rowing program.

“I’m a firm believer that culture doesn’t only belong to urban areas,” Ms. Kimmel told The Suffolk Times during a wide-ranging interview on her first year at the helm. “I think that rural and small-town communities have stories that are rich, and they deserve institutions that tell them well.”

Her first challenge was preserving one of Greenport’s most recognizable landmarks.

When Ms. Kimmel was hired as executive director in June 2025, the first phase of Bug Light’s restoration needed to be completed. She had hoped to listen and learn, but had to jump right in.

“It was incredible. It was a learning experience, and it was also a real challenge,” Ms. Kimmel said of the work. “It was a very difficult project, one of the most difficult projects you could do.”

The first phase — called Rock & Dock — focused on replenishing and stabilizing the protective rocks surrounding the lighthouse, building a new perimeter walkway and installing new pilings, a dock and access ramps. Work was completed in the spring.

The entire restoration will be a multi-year process. Phase two will focus on structural work and repairs needed to safeguard the building. Phase three will encompass the full restoration of the lighthouse structure and the development of exhibits and educational spaces.

“It was a really exciting first year in the sense of what we were able to accomplish with Bug Light,” Ms. Kimmel said.

Ms. Kimmel’s background is in contemporary art. She began her career as a curator in the Texas artist haven of Marfa, where she organized exhibitions, performances and film screenings with artists from around the world. She also spent time in California and South Carolina before moving to Greenport seven years ago.

After coming to the East End, she pursued a doctorate at Stony Brook University and taught art history there, while writing and researching for museums and galleries. She’s also been sailing quite a lot.

Then she saw the Seaport Museum’s job posting in the newspaper last year.

“As a historian and curator who’d always worked in museums, I was excited by the chance to put my money where my mouth is and take on the real work of keeping history alive,” she said.

That work has extended beyond Bug Light.

The museum completed a large repointing project in April. Thanks to a donation from the Charles and Helen Reichart Family Foundation, it was able to repair the mortar joints in half the building’s brickwork.

“It was essential to the preservation of the historic building that the museum sits in,” Ms. Kimmel said.

The museum has also reorganized and digitized its collection.

“We have collection volunteers doing the work every week, continuing to put new items into the collection database,” she said. “It’s an ongoing project, but the groundwork was set for finishing it. It’s really important to take care of what you have.”

But Ms. Kimmel does not want preservation to be the museum’s only role.

Its offerings have been revamped to focus on its “jewels,” including its Fresnel lenses and aquarium. The museum has also welcomed a new exhibit from Shinnecock artist Courtney M. Leonard called “Breach: Logbook 26 | Convergence,” which explores Greenport’s surrounding waterways, whaling and oysters.

Ms. Kimmel also has her sights set on programs designed to bring more people into the museum’s orbit.

She said the museum recently received a Science on Screen grant and will bring films paired with talks by scientists to the North Fork Arts Center this winter. The grant is administered by the Coolidge Corner Theatre with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

“We’re also partnering with Village Community Boathouse on a community boat building and rowing program for both kids and adults,” Ms. Kimmel said. “I’m of the opinion that we need to preserve and keep alive a lot of the marine industries. The museum hopes to be a driver of that kind of education.”

She hopes to continue expanding the museum’s programming in her second year on the job, saying Greenport “deserves real cultural investment.”

“That’s what I’m trying to foster: a museum that’s really grounded in the community, but is also always in dialogue with these broader conversations about history, art, boat building, environment,” Ms. Kimmel said.