DISPATCH - OCT 31, 2012 (8:20 p.m.)
HAMPTONS, NY
Hurricane Sandy has come and gone leaving felled trees, dangling power lines, flooding and thousands without electricity. Escaping mostly unscathed are galleries in the Hamptons. Galleries appeared intact in Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Sag Harbor on Halloween. The new Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, NY seemed untouched by Sandy from a distance. So did Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY.
On Jobs Lane in Southampton, it almost seemed like Hurricane Sandy had never arrived. Sculpture was intact and installed outside of Chrysalis Gallery. Tripoli Gallery of Contemporary Art and Arthur T. Kalaher Fine Art were both open for business. Arthur Kalaher said the gallery had opened on Tuesday and received visitors.
"People were walking around the Village yesterday," he said. "Tuesday was a beautiful day and it seemed like nothing had happened. The Village had electricity so people were having coffee and going to restaurants, if they didn't have electricity at home."
.
Artworks exhibited in a brick walkway from Jobs Lane entice people to visit Arthur T. Kalaher Fine Art in Southampton, NY. Clockwise from left are paintings by Walter Bollendonk, A. Telorik, Paton Miller ("Bird Race"), Mikhail Gubin and Steve Alpert,
.
Last year, Kalaher boarded up his gallery as protection against Tropical Storm Irene. This year, he decided to forgo plywood or taping as Sandy's main dangers were predicted to arise from water surges and flooding. Jobs Lane is on high ground and basements didn't flood for Irene.
A bench secured the front door of the Peter Marcelle Gallery during Hurricane Sandy.
On Wednesday morning, galleries were dismantling any storm preparations made for Hurricane Sandy's arrival on Monday. Plywood window coverings were unscrewed at Sara Nightingale Gallery in Water Mill, NY. Diagonal bands of tape were stripped from window-glass surfaces at RVS Fine Arts and Stricoff Fine Art in Southampton, NY.
For Peter Marcelle Gallery in Bridgehampton, getting ready for business meant removing a sculptural bench away from the front door. The gallery's street front wall features floor-to-ceiling windows. The effect is constructed through configurations of separate windows versus single sheets of glass. The design use of a series of small windows made navigating through Hurricane Sandy a fairly safe bet, said Peter Marcelle.
But before Sandy arrived, the gallery realized there was another possible weak spot, said gallery director Catherine McCormick.
"The biggest surprise we had was when the doors flew open," she said. "We were concerned about the windows and didn't even consider the doors."
After moving the bench aside, the gallery opened on Wednesday afternoon and was waiting for paintings for the next exhibition opening on Saturday (a solo show by Anna Jurinich).
.
Peter Marcelle Gallery in Bridgehampton, NY.
.
Romany Kramoris Gallery in Sag Harbor was open for business on Wednesday, even though they had no electricity. Manager Brandon Hallman said they were doing some clean up in the back garden and decided to keep the doors open, just in case.
"We're hopeful that maybe someone will be bored and want to come into the gallery," he said. "It could be a good day for shopping on Main Street."
.
Romany Kramoris Gallery in Sag Harbor opened on Wednesday despite the lack of electricity.
.
All of the stores along Main Street in Sag Harbor were without electricity on Wednesday. Many stores were open and darkened, like Romany Kramoris Gallery. Others businesses and art galleries remained shuttered. (Many galleries in Sag Harbor and Bridgehampton are typically closed on Wednesday.)
Sag Harbor Main Street seemed to be hit the hardest in the four gallery towns visited in the Hamptons. (Montauk was the hardest hit on the East End, according to all reports.) In Sag Harbor, water rose from the bay and flooded Bay Street, West Water Street and the Village public parking lot behind Main St. Area newspapers published photos of kayakers swishing in the Sandy-made ponds over concrete. Massive trees were felled throughout the Village's main streets. By Wednesday, much of the water had receded but not all of it.
.
Partial view of Spring Street and Bridge Street adjacent to the Sag Harbor Village parking lot behind Main Street.
.
Looking across the Sag Harbor Village public parking lot behind Main Street. On left is a partial view of Bridge Street.
.
An unearthed tree along Main Street in Sag Harbor, NY.
.
A snapped tree beside Otter Pond in Sag Harbor, NY.
.
East Hampton had its share of closed roads from felled trees. The north side of Newtown Lane was closed for clearing trees. Nearby, Glenn Horowitz Bookseller (and gallery) was open. A few doors away, Halsey Mckay Gallery remained shuttered. For the most part, electricity was restored to Newtown Lane and Main Street. The streets, restaurants and coffee places bustled with activity.
.
.
.
Prepping for Hurricane Sandy had some light moments painted on plywood. Some businesses recycled wooden protection from Irene and painted new messages for this year's storm. Other businesses welcomed Sandy with cheeky messages:
.
On Sunday (Oct 28), an antique wood business at 662 Montauk Hwy in Montauk, NY made the best of Hurricane Sandy's imminent arrival.
.
Simon Harrison Real Estate in Sag Harbor posted a message for Hurricane Sandy.
.
Preparing for Hurricane Sandy.
.
________________________________________
© 2012 Pat Rogers and Hamptons Art Hub. All rights reserved.