Guild Hall’s 79th Annual Members Exhibition Now Accepting Registrants

The Museum at Guild Hall in East Hampton is currently preparing for their 79th Annual Members Exhibition, the oldest non-juried museum exhibition on Long Island, which will debut on Saturday, April 8th and remain on view through Saturday, June 3rd.

Those interested in having their art showcased must be members of Guild Hall, and can register online or request a packet at www.GuildHall.org. Registration closes on Sunday, March 26th at 5 p.m., and the drop off for registered works will take place Friday, March 31st and Saturday, April 1st, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Unlike prior years, there will be no in-person registrations at that time.

The Members Exhibition annually features more than 400 artists and is coordinated by Stephanie deTroy Miller, who serves as Guild Hall’s Registrar/Curatorial Assistant, and Lewis B. Cullman, the Associate for Museum Education. The installation design is by Christina Mossaides Strassfield, who is the Director and Chief Curator of Guild Hall Museum.

“The Artist Member Show, now in its 79th year, means a great deal to artists in our community; it’s an opportunity for them to exhibit their work in a museum, gain exposure, meet other artists, and even win awards in different categories, each year with a different awards juror,” remarked Stephanie deTroy Miller, Registrar and Curatorial Assistant at Guild Hall.

Awards will be given out for the following categories: Best Representational Painting, Best Abstract Painting, Best Sculpture, Best Work on Paper, Best Mixed Media, Best Photograph, and numerous Honorable Mention citations, along with the $250 Catherine and Theo Hios Landscape Award and the Best New Member Artist – presented to one artist who is new to the members exhibition or who has not entered in the past five years.

“The Top Honors winner will have a solo exhibition in our Spiga Gallery,” noted deTroy Miller. “The number of artists who participate, anywhere from 300 to over 400, speaks volumes to what this show means to the artists themselves, as well as to the amount of creative talent we are so fortunate to have here in our community.”

This year’s awards judge is Ruba Katrib, a Curator at SculptureCenter, who is responsible for organizing exhibitions, educational and public programs, publications, and coordinating all aspects of program presentation. At SculptureCenter, Katrib has produced several shows including: The Eccentrics (2015), Puddle, Pothole, Portal (2014) (co-curated with artist Camille Henrot), Better Homes (2013), and A Disagreeable Object (2012). Recent solo shows include exhibitions with Rochelle Goldberg (2016), Anthea Hamilton, Gabriel Sierra, Magali Reus, Michael E. Smith, and Erika Verzutti (all 2015).

This 79-year-old show has showcased some of the most impressive work of the East End, including a wide spectrum of professional and amateur development. Admission to the show is free and is generously funded by Bridgehampton National Bank and supported in part by the Giuppy Nantista Fund and the Helen Hoie Fund.

You can meet the winners of the 79th Annual Artist Members Exhibition on Saturday, April 29th at 3 p.m.

The Museum at Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street in East Hampton. For more information, call 631-324-0806 or visit www.GuildHall.org.