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Established
in 1931, Guild Hall is the primary cultural center on the Eastern End
of Long Island. The East End of Long Island is a unique region that has
attracted many diversely talented people such as artists, writers,
musicians, actors, and directors over the years. They search for and
find inspiration in the natural beauty of the landscape, the
magnificent light and the endless beaches. Guild Hall provided East
Hampton with an art gallery, a theater and meeting place - the cultural
center in the center of culture.
Long Island, with close
proximity to New York City, became a popular tourist destination with
the onset of the Long Island Railroad in the late 19th century. The L.
I.R.R. was very active in marketing the charms of the region by
distributing thousands of brochures and leaflets. In the 1870s, Hudson
River School painters portrayed the white sand beaches of eastern Long
Island. Winslow Homer came to visit in 1872 and in 1878, a group of New
York artists known as the Tile Club traveled to the East End and
visited several of its small villages including East Hampton. Thomas
Moran and his family settled permanently in 1884. His home and studio
became the center of life for artists who visited the village.
In the teens, twenties and
thirties many artists including Guy Pene du Bois and George Bellows,
visited the area. Later after WWII, the Surrealists aided by artist and
philanthropist Gerald Murphy were welcomed guests. They were followed
by the Abstract Expressionist artists Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, and
Willem de Kooning, Pop artists Roy Lichtenstein, James Rosenquist and
Andy Warhol, Photo Realists Audrey Flack and Chuck Close, 80's and 90's
Neo-expressionist artists Eric Fischl, David Salle and Julian Schnabel
as well as many contemporary artists today such as Ross Bleckner,
Donald Sultan and April Gornik. These artist-residents continue to make
the East End the country's foremost art colony.
In 1931, when Mrs. Lorenzo
E. Woodhouse dedicated Guild Hall as a cultural center for the
community, The New York Times noted that Howard Russell Butler's
portrait of Thomas Moran, on exhibit in the galleries, was not a loan,
but an acquisition. From this beginning over 73 years ago, the holdings
have grown significantly in size and scope. In the early 1960's, 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.
In 1973 the museum received
the distinction of being accredited by the American Association of
Museums. Today, the holdings of 19th, 20th and 21st century art number
some 1900 objects which include paintings, sculpture, prints,
watercolors, photographs and drawings by internationally renowned
artists. The museum continues to acquire works by donation and
acquisition.
AN ADVENTURE IN THE ARTS
includes 73 works and will be available for scheduling beginning in
2006 through 2008. Included are introductory text panels and wall
labels with short artist biographies.
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