Welcome to the first edition of Hamptons Art News. In this edition, look to find news about Agathe Snow's dance party, an East Hampton gallery closing, an unexpected artist residency and other art news worth knowing about in The Hamptons and East End art scenes.
Birnam Wood / Galleries is closing its doors. The East Hampton will have its final run Labor Day Weekend and will close shortly afterwards. Birnam Wood / Galleries have been in business for 12 years. Their Chelsea gallery closed earlier this year. The Hamptons gallery is located at 48 Park Place, East Hampton, N.Y. 11937
Guild Hall Executive Director Ruth Appelhoff gave plenty of notice to find her replacement when she recently announced to staff that she plans to retire at the end of 2016. Appelhoff was appointed to the position 16 years ago (in 1999). She led Guild Hall successfully through a major five-year and $13 million renovation of the John Drew Theater and Guild Hall which was completed in 2009.
Sculpture by Nova (Mihai Popa) is now represented by Mark Borghi Gallery and was celebrated with fanfare at Nova’s Ark Project, a private sculpture park with polo fields in Bridgehampton on August 23, 2015. Mark Borghi Gallery recently represented Nova’s sculpture at Art Southampton 2015, which was held at Nova’s Art Project. The new partnership is the first time since Nova created the Ark Project that his art will be represented by a gallery. Mark Borghi Gallery is based in Bridgehampton and Palm Beach. The Ark Project was created to present Nova's art as an entire collection and concept.
Agathe Snow’s film dance party at the Guggenheim was a huge hit. A packed crowd had the chance to simultaneous live the present and channel the past during the premiere of Agathe Snow’s film “Stamina” that was set amid a dance party with live music at the museum on Thursday, August 20, 2105. The footage for "Stamina" was collected in 2005 in Lower Manhattan when Snow set nine cameras to record her and her friends and fellow artists during a 24-hour period, including a dance party, capturing the interactions that unfolded in minute detail and capturing the group paused on the verge of adulthood. The film continues Snow's exploration of social interactions, rebellion, and the redemptive power of human ingenuity and community, according to the Guggenheim.
At the premiere and dance party event, "Stamina" was projected onto a circle of screens installed in the Guggenheim’s rotunda and enlivened with live music, music spun by deejays and movement. The premiere and participatory event was presented as part of “Storyline: Contemporary Art at the Guggenheim” continuing through September 9, 2015. Snow is based in New York City and the North Fork. In the Hamptons, her art has been exhibited at The Parrish Art Museum and The Fireplace Project.
Mike Solomon is now represented by Berry Campbell Gallery in Chelsea. The gallery also represents Solomon’s father, the abstract expressionism Syd Solomon (1917-2004). The Solomon family has long-standing ties to East Hampton, N.Y. and Sarasota, FL. Mike Solomon currently has studios on the North Fork and Sarasota. Berry Campbell is located at 530 West 24th Street New York, NY 10011.
The Parrish Art Museum received a $100,000 grant from the Robert D. L. Gardiner Foundation for its upcoming show on Jane Wilson and Jane Freilicher. The grant is bestowed upon organizations that foster culture from the region. Both artists were long-time residents of Water Mill before their deaths. “Jane Freilicher and Jane Wilson: Seen and Unseen” will be exhibited from October 25, 2015 through January 18, 2016.
Guild Hall turned 84 years old on August 19, 2015. Guild Hall opened to the public in 1931 as a meeting place for the local community and a venue for the visual and performing arts. It was designed by Aymar Embury.
The former Crazy Monkey Gallery of Amagansett received a new life when The White Room Gallery opened in Bridgehampton in May 2015. If you’ve seen a mob of people thronging along Main Street on a Saturday night or noticed live rock or blues music filling the air (or playing outdoors), then you’ve been close to The White Room Gallery. Changing curated exhibitions mostly reveal art made in The Hamptons. The White Room Gallery differs from the Crazy Monkey in intent and exhibition presentation so leave expectations at the door when visiting. The White Room Gallery is located at 2415 Main Street, Bridgehampton, NY 11932.
Willem De Kooning’s former house and studio in East Hampton has been transformed into an artist residency led by the newly-formed non-profit Accabonac House. Spearheaded by a family friend and friend of Lisa de Kooning, actor Alex Kilgore, the new residency program opened its doors in May 2015 to creatives that are not visual artists but are writers, playwrights, producers, actors, filmmakers and other creative types. Selected by Accabonac House's committee, the first resident is Pultizer-Prize winning playwright Annie Baker.
De Kooning family members Isabel, Emma and Lucy de Kooning Villeneuve are part of the board of directors for the Accabonac House. The residency is dedicated to the memory of Lisa de Kooning and aims to "...foster mutual inspiration across different disciplines and generate new work for stage and screen" with a focus on storytelling, according to Accabonac House's website.
David Salle was chosen to create the poster for the 2015 Hamptons International Film Festival. Keep your eyes open for the film poster to begin appearing around town this fall. The 23th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival takes place Columbus Day Weekend (October 8 – 12, 2015) at theaters across The Hamptons. Founders Passes went on sale last week with other Passes available for purchase on September 8, 2015. The Box Office opens on September 26, 2015 in East Hampton, Southampton and New York City.
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