The Watermill Center
The Watermill Center reimagined its inspiring Annual Summer Benefit and Auction into a two-week-long festival that ended this month. The event offered the cognoscenti access to the art-strewn gardens and visiting artists from around the world. The festival was curated by The Center’s founder, avant-garde direc- tor Robert Wilson, who hosted a series of cocktail parties, intimate dinners, live performances, concerts, exhibitions and installations. Wilson said of the Watermill Center, “The situation here is open-ended. You start with a blank book and fill in the pages.” All proceeds from the festival went to supporting The Center’s year-round art- ist residency and education programs.
90th Anniversary of Guild Hall
Guild Hall celebrated its 90th anniversary with a plethora of events throughout the summer. The first exhibition was Alexis Rockman’s “Shipwrecks,” the artist’s commentary on the environmental crisis. A not-to-be-missed event for horticulturalists was the museum’s “Garden as Art” tour, featuring the gardens of five local and world-renowned artists. Guild Hall’s Summer Gala featured an exhibition by Robert Longo called “Past and Present,” a critical investigation of American history bookended by Abstract Expressionism and depicted by charcoal drawings.
Parrish Art Museum
Chris Siefert, the new director of the Parrish Art Museum, presented “Women Artists on Eastern Long Island, 1950-2020,” which highlighted artists who pushed the borders of art forward — although at one time, they were perceived as peripheral painters to men in the Abstract Expressionist movement. Those featured in this exhibit included Elaine de Kooning, the wife of William de Kooning; Helen Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell. The late de Kooning once said, “Painting to me is primarily a verb, not a noun, an event first and only secondarily an image.” The adjunct show “Affinities for Abstraction” featured a survey of successive generations including Mary Heilman, Michele Stuart, Jacqueline Humphries and Amy Sillman.
Southhampton Arts Center
Eric Fischl curated a sculpture park that features Hauser & Wirth’s Louise Bourgeois hanging sculptures at the Southampton Cultural Center, located on Jobs Lane in the Village of Southampton. The main exhibit, “eARTh: Artists as Activists,” included pieces by Roisin Bateman, Scott Bluedorn and Erica Cirino, and featured works that confront the unnerving state of the planet’s ecosystem through exploration of the environment through art, photography and film. “eARTh” faced the climate crisis head on through workshops, panel discussions and films including “Fantastic Fungi.”
Longhouse Botanical Garden
Top interior designers Tony Ingrao and Randy Kemper were among the judges at The Planters: ON+OFF the Ground X at the Longhouse Botanical Gardens in East Hampton, founded by the late Jack Lenor Larsen. Longhouse invited landscape de- signers, gardeners and artists to let their imaginations flow freely to create magical planters. Visitors were also able to cast their ballots for the People’s Choice Award, which will remain on display for the rest of the season.
Rosé Soiree
Rosanna Scotto, the co-anchor for Good Day New York, hosted the Rosé Soiree at Nova’s Ark Project, the largest privately-owned sculpture park and art center in the Hamptons. The event featured rosé wines from the best wineries around the world and a sommelier who circulated through the tables to discuss the history and virtues of each wine. There was a five-course tasting menu from the East End’s top chefs such as Scott Kampf, Dominic Rice, Spiro Karachopan and many more. A percentage of the proceeds raised benefited All For the East End, which supports more than 1,000 charitable organizations in the five East End towns and U.S. Autism Homes.
Sinatra Comes to Westhampton Beach Project
The Westhampton Beach Project was the third annual free to the public event that combined of music, ballet and modern dance. The two-day affair took place on the Great Lawn on Main Street in Westhampton Beach, and was brought to fruition by Steven Colucci, who said, “After a year where the arts community suffered greatly, I knew that it was time to launch The Westhampton Beach Project event.” The project kicked off with a musical tribute to Frank Sinatra starring vocalist Steven Maglio, who was accompanied by the West African and French American singer-songwriter Eva Sita and dancers. Guests also saw performances by soloist from the American Ballet Theater such as Luciana Paris and Jonathan Luján, as well as choreography by Alison Cook Beatty Dance Company, a New York City-based modern dance company. Dancers included Vera Paganin and Miranda Stuck, among others.
Seth Meyers @ PAC
Seth Meyers, comedian and television host, took the stage at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center on the Great Lawn. The Emmy Award-winning writer has been making people laugh since he was on “SNL” in 2001. Meyers said, “Art is not supposed to be safe. It’s supposed to be radical.” Adding, “Once you get past funny, my other qualities are so below average. It’s not like I’m handy.”
