Summer in East Hampton: Part Two, Guild Hall

Guild Hall Center for the Visual and Performing Arts

According to their website: ‘Guild Hall, one of the first multidisciplinary centers in the country to combine a museum, theater, and education space under one roof, was established in 1931 as a gathering place for the community where an appreciation for the arts would serve to encourage greater civic participation.’

Enez Whipple, Guild Hall Executive Director from 1943–1991, said “Guild Hall couldn’t have happened just anywhere. It needed the kind of land and seascapes that could seduce artists; it needed a city like New York nearby to nourish it; and, most of all, it needed the dedicated people who make the exemplary cultural center it is today.” And, indeed, the area has seduced artists for generations, the City has nourished it, and Guild Hall and its constituency have had a productive symbiotic relationship since its inception.  And it is still going strong!

Theater

The John Drew Theater hosts over 100 productions annually, including plays, opera, concerts, film, readings, comedy, dance, lectures, and symposia. May major playwrights and actors (including Edward Albee, Bob Fosse, Olivia de Havilland, Jerome Robbins, Tennessee Williams, Kurt Vonnegut, and Thornton Wilder) have nurtured their careers here.  With the recent renovation of the 1931 trompe l’oeil circus tent ceiling, the 360-seat proscenium stage now boasts comfortable seats and state of the art technology.  

• This year Guild Hall presented the Second Annual Guitar Masters Festival (Friday July 5 – Sunday July 7) featuring performances by eight-time Grammy Award Winner Buddy Guy, The Allman Betts Band with Special Guest JD Simo, and Rosanne Cash & Band – She Remembers Everything.
• Stan the Man – a new dark comedy by Eugene Pack, starring Alec Baldwin, Blair underwood & Rob Morrow Thursday July 11 & Friday July 12
• East Hampton TV Festival Monday July 22 & Tuesday July 23 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
  • The First Annual EHTVF event will include an Opening Gala Red-Carpet Cocktail Reception on July 22 at 6pm and an Award Night on July 23 from 6pm. Evening screenings will follow on both nights.  From 10am to 3pm each day exciting TV Panels will be held with the best of television’s new contents.
  • VIP Tickets for $150 include both days – all screenings, panels, cocktail reception, and VIP gift bag.
  • $25 General Admission ticket includes all daytime panels and evening screenings, plus a gift cap
  • $10 General Admission includes evening screenings only, 7-11pm each night.
• Midsummer Night Conversations on Creativity with Questlove and Special Guest, Sunday July 28 7:00 pm $30 – $100
• Surfrider Foundation – Surf Movie night XVII Wednesday July 31 7:00 – 10:00 pm $10. – $35

• Hamptons International Film Festival– in 2019 the dates are October 10 – 14. Book your suite now!
  • Here is the blog I wrote about 2018’s 26th Annual Film Festival.
  • And one on previous Film Festival Entries filmed in and about the Hamptons
• Throughout the year Guild Hall hosts numerous other HIFF events such as SummerDocs Hosted by Alec Baldwin. In 2019, its 11th year, Alec Baldwin and Artistic Director David Nugentwill once again lead conversations with filmmakers and guests, presenting new and groundbreaking documentary filmmaking and thought-provoking stories to the East End. Upcoming events include:
  • Cold Case Hammarskjöld Saturday July 20 @ 7:00 pm
  • Circus of Books Saturday August 24 @ 7:00 pm

And so much more! Check out the Events Calendar here…

Museum

As well as the John Drew Theater, Guild Hall has, since its inception, featured two galleries: the Moran Gallery named for painter Thomas Moran and the Woodhouse Gallery named for founder Mrs. Lorenzo E. Woodhouse. 

• According to An Adventure in the Arts:  ‘In the early 1960s, the collection began to focus on the artists who have lived and worked in the region, including some of the country’s most celebrated painters, sculptors, photographers and graphic artists. It was not until 1970 when the Dewey Wing, with climate-controlled art storage and processing facilities, was added, that collecting started in earnest.’ 
• The Permanent Collection now includes works by Thomas Moran, Larry Rivers, Willem de Kooning. Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, to name just a few.
• Upcoming Exhibitions and Events include:
  • Tony Oursler: Water Memory June 8 – July 21, 2019
  • ugo rondinone: sunny days  August 10 – October 14

Education

‘Guild Hall’s founding principle in 1931 was to be a gathering place where an appreciation for the arts would serve “to promote a finer type of citizenship.”’ Thus, was born an ongoing dedication to arts education and development, with programs, lectures and classes year-round for students of all ages, including film workshops, children’s art workshops, lectures and more.

• 2019 Hamptons Institute: ‘Join our expert panelists on three Mondays in August at 7pm for lively discussions about the social, cultural, environmental and political impact of these current issues and movements in our communities.’ Topics this year include:
  • The Youth Climate Movement Could Save the Planet – Monday August 5th at 7pm
  • Latino Immigration Issues on the East End and Beyond– Monday August 12th at 7pm
  • The Future of Leadership – Monday August 19th at 7pm
• Other educational offerings include:
  • Children & Family Programs
  • Teen Arts Council
  • Adult Programs

Other Guild Hall Events this summer include:

• The Met Live in HD
  • Starting Saturday October 19, Weekly $23
• Clothesline Art Sale on Saturday July 27 9:00 am – 4:00 pm Free, Preview Cocktail Party Friday July 26 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm $100
  • An annual event since 1946, this is ‘a community event that showcases original works by East End artists.
  • Nearly 400 artists enter the sale each year, with their work attracting thousands of art lovers looking for the next de Kooning, Prince, or Sherman. 
  • Works range in price from $75 to $2,200, with all proceeds split 50/50 between the artist and Guild Hall.’ You never know what you might find! 
  • Included in the Clothesline Art Sale is our second annual curated Makers Market. The Market features previously excluded categories of functional art such as jewelry, handbags, fashion accessories, furniture, and hand knits. Artists wares are on display in our Cheryl and Michael Minikes Garden for the duration of the Clothesline Art Sale.
  • I bought my first East End Fish Print at the Clothesline Art Sale about 10 years ago.  Now I own ten prints and have become friends with the artist, Annie Sessler.  Her husband is a fisherman. He catches the fish. She, using natural inks, takes rubbings of the fish.  Then the entire family eats the fish for dinner.  Talk about GREEN!

That’s all for now folks.  But remember, you don’t really have to do anything when you visit East Hampton.  How about an iced glass of MHI Strawberry Lemonade and a good book relaxing in the shade of the silver oak on our back patio?

 Sylvia