Southampton Arts Center: New Team Members, New Exhibitions, New Website And New Goals

Past and future visitors to the Southampton Arts Center (SAC) are in for a treat. Continuing and strengthening its mission of community building through the arts, SAC has announced the hire of several new team members and contractors that have strong ties to the East End. In addition to the newly opened exhibition, EARTH – Artists as Activists, SAC also launched a new website on April 17 “to effectively share the organization’s mission, story, and commitment to the community, and has already planned a diverse and dynamic slate of exhibitions through the first quarter of 2023.”

“Looking to continue to elevate its longstanding role on the East End as an inclusive arts and culture hub, the new team will strengthen its offering of thought-provoking exhibitions and programs under the leadership of SAC executive director Tom Dunn.”

Dunn relayed the growth of SAC with these new additions, as integral to the advancement to the institution. “Each team member brings a unique skill set that is strengthened through collaboration. It is very much a group effort, which is something each of these individuals understands and values. Together, we’re able to advocate for artists, providing opportunities for dialogue, collaboration, and professional development.”

According to SAC, “Among the new faces are general manager Joe Diamond, curatorial associate Daniela Kronemeyer, and Diana Torres, who has joined the organization full-time as the business manager. Dunn has also engaged Rachel Bosworth, owner of RB Collaborative on the East End, as the communications manager, Ellie Manko Libby as a fundraising consultant focused on major gifts and individual giving, and re-engaged consultant and former East End Arts Council director Pat Snyder as the development administrator. This team joins Dunn, operations coordinator Matt Ballard, and guest services ambassadors Marlene Esposito, Nicole Hadix, Sarah Matos, and Nancy Miller.”

General Manager Joe Diamond joined Southampton Arts Center in 2021 where he oversees operations, production, and visitor services. He had previously served as Director of Operations for Vice Media’s production company and event space, Villain LLC. Other past employers and clients include MoMA PS1, Performa (Chief of Installation and Project Manager), ASH NYC (Site Manager and Contractor), Santos (Venue Manager), Bushwick Project for the Arts (Founder, Co-Director), Food and Wine Expo, Art Space NYC, Lincoln Harbor Marina, and numerous theatrical productions, art institutions and events.

Daniela Kronemeyer, Curatorial Associate, was born and raised on the East End, and has been an advocate for the natural world and indigenous people from an early age. Encompassing a love for various cultures from around the world, she currently works as a consultant in the non-profit sector where she uses the arts – literature, photography, and textile design – to promote environmentalism and indigenous activism. Having been involved with SAC since it its inception, Daniela has curated many events with these themes in mind, including working closely with members of the Shinnecock Nation to host several successful film screenings and engaging discussions. She also currently serves as Project Director for the Peter Matthiessen Center, a new non-profit organization based in Sagaponack honoring the legacy of the beloved American novelist, Buddhist teacher, naturalist and indigenous rights activist. Daniela is delighted to bring her passion to the EARTH – Artists as Activists exhibition, using the power of ecology and art to engage the community.

Serving as a part-time office manager for SAC over the past three years, Diana Torres, Business Manager, recently signed on as the organization’s first full-time business manager. A graduate of St. Joseph’s College with a degree in Organizational Management, she began her career in sales and banking. Diana’s experience allows her to keep the wheels of SAC turning, overseeing all internal communications amongst staff and business partners, and general office management. In her spare time, she plays basketball and enjoys walks on the beach with her dogs.

With the idea that communication is a written and visual art with a purpose meant to be shared, Rachel Bosworth, Communications Manager, founded RB Collaborative, a full-service creative, collaborative communications company on the East End. A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Advertising and Marketing Communications, her experiences in New York, London, New Orleans, and San Diego has provided unique insight into various communications markets. As a writer with a passion for helping clients share their stories with those that need to hear them most, Rachel specializes in nonprofit and small business communications, working hands-on with clients to craft, define, and refine messaging that intrigues, inspires, and develops a meaningful connection in communities. Collaboration has always been at the core of Rachel’s work, and she comes to SAC to put the organization’s stories into words.

Patricia Snyder, Development Administrator, comes to SAC in a consultant role for development. She brings with her 23 years devoted to the advancement of the arts on eastern Long Island. Her legacy includes two decades at the helm of the East End Arts Council and a variety of projects designed to attract a diverse audience through creative place making and cultural tourism, accessible arts education and using the arts as a tool for community development. Pat is recognized for bringing the region several signature programs including Winterfest (formerly Jazz on the Vine), Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival, JumpstART, a professional development program for artists; Music Masters, a music intensive that partners professional musicians with highly motivated high school students, and the Teeny Awards, a beloved East End program recognizing the value of the high school theater experience for life skills. Pat’s work has been recognized through multiple awards including Woman of the Year, Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award, Vision Long Island Smart Growth Award, National Arts Destination Marketing Award, WEHM Radio Unsung Hero Award, Arts & Culture Imagine Award, Suffolk County Women of Distinction and more.

Ellie Manko Libby, Fundraising Consultant, has been a prominent force in New York’s philanthropic world with more than 20 years as a leading development professional and entrepreneur, raising substantial funds and building strategic partnerships for traditional nonprofits as well as social entrepreneurship ventures. She has made significant funding inroads and led highly successful fundraising efforts in a wide range of topics including advocacy, disaster relief, food rescue, education and disabilities. Ellie’s development experience includes work with organizations such as The Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, All Hands and Hearts, The Waterkeeper Alliance, Ctree, The McCarton Foundation, City Harvest and NYU School of Law. Ellie strives to bring her inner entrepreneur and vast network to her practice in order to help her clients reach the next level of success with a focus on major gifts, board development, corporate sponsorship, and campaign strategy. Prior to her career in philanthropy development, Ellie practiced law as a securities and bankruptcy litigator. Ellie has a JD degree from NYU Law School and a BA from Brown University, Magna Cum Laude with Honors.

“After completing various grounds improvements projects to enhance their three- acre property, SAC is undergoing further transformation with the installation of a new public art project. WHIMSY, an outdoor sculpture garden curated by Eric Fischl, is currently being installed on SAC’s grounds, and will open to the public Memorial Day weekend. Featuring works from artists including Alice Aycock, Louise Bourgeois, Hans van de Bovenkamp, Mel Kendrick, Larry Rivers, David Salle, Almond Zigmund, and more, this public art exhibition is free and will be open daily.”

According to Dunn, “These sculptures are playful works that are bold, vibrant, and energetic, offering something quite unique to SAC. Their sheer size alone is impressive, and the way they’ve been placed throughout our grounds honors the playfulness curator and long-time friend Eric Fischl endeavored to create. To have sculptures hanging in trees, for example, offers a rather interesting perspective. Each artist at SAC, whether in our galleries or on our grounds, reinforces our mission of community building through the arts.”

“Among these dynamic works is Rivers’ infamous 16-foot-tall pop art sculpture, Legs, which has long attracted both admiration and controversy. Alice Aycock’s 10,000+ pound cyclone, Louise Bourgeois’ hanging works, and David Salle’s Elko Park, which has not been seen in 30 years, will be on display.”

“WHIMSY is a wonderful, spirited, and intelligent show,” Fischl explains. “These works hit the right tone for the moment. They are playful – full of life, delight, and irony. It will be a memorable, dynamic outdoor exhibition.”

“Architect Siamak Samii, who also serves on SAC’s board of directors, is behind other major grounds improvements, including a new brick courtyard in SAC’s iconic Caesar Garden, the establishment of new perimeters around each statue to further conservation efforts, and expansion of the north-south walkway. Samii also helped remove invasive plant species on the west lawn, and replaced a dilapidated fence on the property line. SAC’s outdoor improvements have been made possible thanks to the generosity of Anke Beck Friedrich and Jürgen Friedrich.”

“With help from partners at Group for the East End, The Perfect Earth Project, Long Island Native Plant Initiative, and Shane Weeks from the Shinnecock Indian Nation, SAC also installed a native plant garden on the grounds. These efforts are a nod to the organization’s ongoing commitment to the environment as well as the community by offering a free public space for all to enjoy, any time. In celebration of these recent improvements and the installation of WHIMSY, SAC is hosting their inaugural summer cocktail party, Whimsy in the Garden, on Friday, June 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.”

Dunn advised, “On July 17, we will open our summer exhibition, Beyond the Streets on Paper, featuring more than 500 works from 75+ street artists from around the globe. On September 2 through September 5 we will host the Fine Arts Fair with the producers of ArtHamptons, followed by our fall exhibition Clearing the Air – The Transformative Power of the Arts, which opens September 11. SAC will continue to host artist-in-residence programs, our annual East End Collected exhibitions with Paton Miller, films, talks, live programs, kids’ programming, wellness, and eco as well.”

What an exciting time in the Village of Southampton. Explore what makes SAC a beloved go to place on the East End by visiting the galleries and grounds.

Southampton Arts Center is located at 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton. For more information go to www.southamptonartscenter.org.