North Fork Art Scene Unveiled for Labor Day Weekend

The North Fork art scene is an island unto itself--strong, quiet, self-contained, springing up in unexpected places and ripe for discovery. This weekend, a full range of options unfold to create vibrant travel among contemporary art on the North Fork. Collectively, they also reveal the diversity of the subtle art scene that unfolds in studios, artist homes and the handful of galleries tucked in buildings located from Jamesport to Greenport.

Following is a list of exhibitions and art events to find your way into contemporary art on the North Fork.

1. "MOMMA" at Rothman's Gallery "ART"

September 5 - 20, 2015

Exhibition Reception: September 5 at 6 p.m.

Here's the question that gets to the intriguing heart of this conceptual exhibition:  MoMA vs. MOMMA (you decide). The crux is whether art exhibitions are best determined by institutions (such as MoMA) with established systems in place or whether the fluidity of individuals deciding together makes for more interesting exhibitions. (Hint: The exhibited art doesn't take a stance).

"MOMMA" at Rothman's Department Store art gallery (ART) may hold an answer to the philosophical question. The show presents new or never exhibited art by Servane Mary, Virginia Overton, Olivier Mosset, John Miller (with Richard Hoeck), and Michel Auder. The Exhibition Text is by author and curator Bob Nickas.

If you're missing Martos Gallery's Summer Exhibition, now's your chance to set things right.

"MOMMA" has an Opening Reception on September 5 at 6 p.m. with live music. There is a Closing Reception on September 19 at 6 p.m. with live music. The show is on view from September 5 to 20, 2015 at Rothman's Department Store gallery, ART, 54100 Route 25/Main Street, Southold, NY 11971.

RELATED: "MOMMA" Exhibition Takes on MoMA and The Hamptons, Conceptually"

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2. "A Calm Before the Storm" at Alex Ferrone Photography Gallery 

September 5 to September 27, 2015

Opening Reception: September 5 from 6 to 8 p.m.

"Calm before the Storm" pairs East End photographers Christine Matthäi and Dalton Portella into a singular powerful show. Expect an impending storm and the emotions it raises just before nature's drama strikes. 

Christine Matthäi is based on Shelter Island. Born in German, her work is inspired by nature when serene and channels the light when combined with sky and water. On the other hand, Dalton Portella's work contains a tension. Born in Miami, raised in Brazil, and now ensconced in Montauk, his non-traditional approach to creating images results in natural looking photographs that may or may not reveal the fictitious component in his photographs that depict "the perfect storm." 

Alex Ferrone Photography Gallery is located at 25425 Main Road, Cutchogue 11935. www.alexferronegallery.com.

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3. Ron Barron: The "Adrift Series," Exhibition and Talk at The South Street Gallery

 Artist Talk: September 7, 2015 at 10 a.m.

Contemporary artist Ron Barron exhibits art inspired by the beaches of the North Fork and what he discovers there. Natural treasures and human-generated trash are the subject of his series "Adrift". Working in photography, painting and digital collages, this is the first show at South Street Gallery for the part-time Greenport resident. Barron's muse (and last name) might be familiar to South Street Gallery attendees:   his daughter, Megan Barron, exhibits at the gallery and has the same muse for her work. The pair will reunite their art when they exhibit together in 2016 at Station Independent Projects in New York City.

Ron Barron's work has been the subject of solo shows at Butler Institute of American Art with gallery exhibitions held in New York, Savannah, and Nizhny Tagil (Russia).

The South Street Gallery is located at 18 South Street, Greenport, NY 11944. www.thesouthstreetgallery.com.

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4. "Paintings by Jerry Schwabe" and "Photographs by Steven Schreiber" at the Rosalie Dimon Gallery

On view through October 28, 2015.

Rosalie Dimon Gallery holds year round exhibitions curated by East End Arts. Presented as two distinct solo shows on the second floor of the Jamesport Manor Inn are photography by Steven Schreiber and paintings by Jerry Schwabe. The shows both present art with nature as their subject.

The Rosalie Dimon Gallery is located at the Jamesport Manor Inn, 370 Manor Lane in Jamesport, NY 11947. www.jamesportmanorinn.com.

RELATED: "New Art Show at the Rosalie Dimon Gallery Features Artists Jerry Schwabe & Steven Schreiber" published August 18, 2015.

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5. "Rain or Shine" by Max Moran at Jedediah Hawkins Inn Barn Gallery 

On view through September 20, 2015

Artist Available in Gallery: September 5 and 6 from 1 to 5 p.m.

A North Fork artist favorite, Max Moran is exhibiting landscapes and narrative works in his solo show at the Jedediah Hawkins Inn Barn Gallery. The gallery is set beside the Jedediah Hawkins Inn in a separate building on the landscaped grounds. Moran is equally known for his paintings showing people shielded from pouring rain with umbrellas as he is for his plein air landscapes with compositional emphasis on either sky or land. The exhibition is open on weekends only from 1 to 7 p.m.

The Jedediah Hawkins Inn Barn Gallery is located at 40o South Jamesport Ave, Jamesport, NY 11947. www.jedediahhawkinsinn.com. To see Max Moran's art, visit www.maxmoran.com.

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6. Public Sculpture Exhibition at Peconic Landing

One hidden gem on the North Fork is acres of sculptures installed in the public spaces of the residential retirement community Peconic Landing in Greenport. Open from July to October, the works on view can change each year. Sculptors with exhibited work have included Mike Hansen, Rob Lorenson, Arden Scott, Jack Howard-Potter, Nova and others.

To see some of the sculpture, click "VISUAL DIARY: Outdoor Sculpture at Peconic Landing" by Pat Rogers.

Peconic Landing is located at 1500 Brecknock Road, Greenport, New York 11944. www.peconiclanding.com. For a brochure and details on an audio tour, visit www.peconiclanding.com.

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7. Sarah Prescott as Artist in Residence at William Steeple Davis Trust in Orient

Photography Project and Book:  "Get Paused: A Survival Story in Photography"

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Sarah Prescott's art and ongoing art making is not available to the public except through her new book. The current artist-in-residency at the William Steeple Davis Trust continues making her art off the grid in Orient through September 2015. In July, Prescott gave a presentation of the work in process:  a memoir in mostly abstract photographs. On August 7, 2015, Sarah Prescott presented her work in an outdoor video installation as part of East End Art's jumpstART 2015, a public art event taking place in a single evening.

During her residency, Prescott worked on a photography project as memoir that reflects her journey through dramatic changes in her life and perspective after she experienced a series of serious and devastating medical issues (brain tumor, stroke and other major occurrences). An artist who exhibited internationally before she was stricken, her new work represents a major departure. Photographs are presented in bodies of work and tracks her changing perspective over time. Far from depressing, the art reveals the personal journey of a woman who draws upon her individual experience to explore  societal truth and finds joy and beauty among the toughness.

Sarah Prescott's photography has been compiled into the book "Get Paused: A Survival Story in Photographs". To see some of art and snapshots from Sarah Prescott's time on the East End and her residency, visit www.facebook.com/getpaused or www.getpaused.com.

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