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Alex de Stiguer photo provided

Listen below for news and The Interview, this week, in two parts an interview with Alex de Stiguer , who for 27 years has spent winter time off the New Hampshire coast at Star Island as caretaker. She is also the featured speaker at the Star Island annual fundraiser coming up on November 16. Complete details can be read below.

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Alex de Steiguer self portrait

On Friday, part two of an exclusive interview with Alex de Steiguer, who for 27 years has stayed alone on the Isles of Shoals during winter time as caretaker.

This reminder, you can always view recent and earlier posts here by scrolling down.

Star Island’s Winter Caretaker, Alexandra de Steiguer,
headlines annual fall fundraiser, “Starry Night”

Saturday November 16, 2024 5-7:30pm  

Benefit for nonprofit is open to the public

Portsmouth, NH — Alex de Steiguer, noted writer, musician, photographer and the winter caretaker of Star Island, will be the featured speaker at Star Island’s annual fall fundraiser, “Starry Night.” The event will take place on Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 5-7:30pm at Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle Street, in downtown Portsmouth, NH. This is an important fundraising event for the nonprofit organization. “Starry Night” will also include live music by Connecticut classical guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist David Shapiro who also serves as Music Director for Star Island. The evening will be rounded out by a raffle of local experiences, gift cards, and art. According to Chelsea Haskell, Communications and Program Manager for Star Island, “We’re thrilled to offer this opportunity for our guests to hear from Alex who will provide a glimpse into winter life on Star Island.”

Now in her 28th year as winter caretaker, de Steiguer is the sole full time resident of the Isles of Shoals during the deserted months of winter. de Steiguer is well known for her black and white images she prints in her traditional darkroom, work which is featured in the permanent collections of the DeCordova Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Art and the Ogunquit Museum of American Art. Her images of the pared-down and timeless essence of the Isles of Shoals in winter quietly exalt the wild elements that shape and define these islands, underscoring the fundamental connections within the natural world and the transitory and humbling nature of our residence in it. Her insightful musings on solitude, connection and the creative process are published in her book “Small Island, Big Picture” and in original music written and arranged on the Isles of Shoals. Her story has been the subject of two internationally distributed short-form documentary films, and she is a two-time artist fellow of the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. 

Says de Steiguer, “My presentations are like little performance pieces using images and the written word, underpinned by soft instrumental music, some of which I composed out on Star Island. This talk, ‘Denizens of the Shoals’ is a reflection on community and fellowship, illustrated by anecdotes and journal entries drawn from almost three decades of ‘wintering without people’ on the Isles of Shoals.” 

Star Island CEO, Joe Watts says, “Whether you know Star Island well or are curious to learn more about our nonprofit and the important work we do on the Isles of Shoals, including historical preservation and cutting edge environmental initiatives, we look forward to welcoming guests to this lively event.”  

Tickets 

The event is open to the public. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased online at StarIsland.org. This year’s sponsor is Piscataqua Savings Bank.
About Star Island
Star Island is one of the nine Isles of Shoals located seven miles off the coast of New Hampshire and Maine. Star Island is within the waters of N’dakinna, the traditional lands and waterways of the Abenaki, Pennacook and other related Wabanaki Peoples past and present. Home to the circa-1876 Oceanic Hotel and a fishing village from the 1600s, a visit to Star Island is a step back in time. Guests are welcome to tour the island for the day, spend a night or two at the historic Ocean Hotel as a “personal retreater,” or spend several days on Star Island at one of its themed conferences. The 43-acre island is owned and operated by the nonprofit Star Island Corporation. For those who choose to visit during July and August, Star Island is an all inclusive retreat with family style meals, children’s activities and themed programs including world affairs, social justice, natural history, and ecology. The June and September programs are geared toward adults, with topics such as birding, arts, music, writing, history, meditation, yoga, and photography. Learn more at StarIsland.org.

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