The Children’s Museum of the East End (CMEE) will soon open its doors to more children in the Riverside/Flanders area when they move into a larger satellite location over the summer months. The Southampton Town Board unanimously approved an agreement that would permit CMEE to sublease a portion of the Town owned building on Flanders Road that now houses the Long Island Head Start program. Under the agreement, CMEE would sublease the 1100 square foot multi-purpose room in July and August.
Steve Long, President of CMEE said, “We’re thrilled to partner with the Town of Southampton and Renaissance Downtowns to create a permanent location in Riverside where we can achieve the Museum’s vision of serving ALL young children and families on Eastern Long Island. While work on that permanent site continues, we’re grateful to Town officials and Long Island Head Start for arranging a temporary home this summer for the Museum to present free programs for the local community.”
In addition to its main campus in Bridgehampton, CMEE currently shares space at the 250 square foot Renaissance Downtowns office on Peconic Avenue in Riverside to expand access to its educational programming for children in this underserved area. CMEE plans to provide programming at the Riverside Head Start Building, located at 271 Flanders Road, in July and August on Tuesdays between 11:00am and 8:00pm. The programs will be specifically designed for infants, toddlers and young families and will include a music program at 11:00am and a Family Fun Night between 4:00 and 8:00pm.
“The Town continues to work hard to ensure that CMEE remains a valued partner in the vision for the Riverside community,” said Councilwoman Christine Scalera, “CMEE’s programming has become an integral part of Riverside’s sense of community and I am happy that we are able to provide the space they need.”
“This is a perfect solution to a growing need for this creative programming to reach more young children in this area of the Town,” said Supervisor Jay Schneiderman. “We value the importance of early childhood education and we plan to continue to work with CMEE to find them a more permanent home in the Riverside/Flanders area.”
CMEE is one of the most visited museums on Eastern Long Island, and welcomes over 75,000 visitors annually to its Bridgehampton Museum. The Museum opened in 2005 and offers over 7000 square feet of interactive hands-on exhibits, classrooms, and performance space. CMEE’s mission is to spark imagination and foster learning for children of all backgrounds and abilities and to build strong connections within the East End community by providing playful experiences.
