Southampton Arts Center To Open On June 18

A semblance of normality is slowly starting to return to the East End arts scene. East Hampton’s LongHouse Reserve opened on June 17, local libraries have re-opened to offer curbside pickup, several Hamptons galleries have re-opened – including East Hampton’s The Drawing Room, Wainscott’s Alone Gallery, Bridgehampton’s RJD Gallery and The White Room Gallery, and Southampton’s Mark Humprey Gallery, and now Southampton Arts Center (SAC) will re-open its galleries on Thursday, June 18.

After receiving authorization from the Village of Southampton, the Town of Southampton and Suffolk County, as part of New York State’s “Phase 2” Reopening, SAC will once again be able to welcome visitors. SAC will be limiting the number of people within the galleries.

“We are grateful to have the support of all levels of local government in the reopening of our galleries,” Tom Dunn, Southampton Arts Center, Executive Director, stated. “With the safety of our staff and patrons remaining our highest priority, we are pleased and excited to safely reopen our doors – both to stimulate and support our local economy and to inspire and raise the spirits of all members of our great and diverse community.”

Currently, SAC-goers will have the chance to admire TAKEOVER 2020! Artists-in-Residence, which features works from Jodi Bentivegna, Michael Butler, Isadora Capraro, Franco Cuttica, Esly Escobar, Melinda Hackett, Erica-Lynn Huberty, Dinah Maxwell Smith, Miles Partington, and Kerry Sharkey-Miller. The exhibition launched on Saturday, February 1 and was originally scheduled to remain on view through Sunday, April 12, however SAC has extended TAKEOVER 2020!‘s run to Sunday, July 12. TAKEOVER 2020! Artists-in-Residence was conceived by Artistic Director Amy Kirwin and is sponsored by Ingrid Arneberg with additional support from the Long Island Community Foundation.

This summer at SAC will also showcase a new Public Art Project that utilizes the iconic site’s expansive grounds. The collaboration between SAC Artistic Director Amy Kirwin and Artist Eric Fischl will focus on nature, as well as the “new normal” of living during a pandemic.

“We have always wanted to highlight our beautiful grounds by installing artwork for the public to enjoy while taking advantage of the property, and it made perfect sense to pursue this now,” Kirwin explained. “When we decided to organize this exhibit, we didn’t know when we might reopen our galleries, and we wanted to provide a safe, open-air experience.”

The Public Art installation will showcase works by artists Eric Fischl, Saskia Friedrich, Alice Hope, Bryan Hunt, Laurie Lambrecht, and Steve Miller.

“Combining both sculpture and installation makes for a dynamic use of the landscape, and the artists chosen all have works that will be in conversation with and draw attention to the stunning natural surroundings and existing sculptural features,” Kirwin added. “And now that we have been given permission to reopen our galleries as well, we are excited to be able to offer two completely different viewing experiences to our visitors.”

The exhibition will be on display from June 27 through September 13, 2020.

SAC-goers must don masks and they will be expected to adhere to the established social distancing guidelines.

Southampton Arts Center Galleries will be open Thursday to Sunday, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. SAC’s Theatre will remain closed until “Phase 4” of New York State’s Reopening.

Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. For more information, visit southamptonartscenter.org.