Summer Arts Preview 2017: Guild Hall
Guild Hall has one busy summer planned! Some of the amazing programming they have in store that we couldn’t list below includes an exhibition featuring the work of Taryn Smith, Literary Death Match featuring Dick Cavett, Hamptons International Film Festival’s SummerDocs hosted by Alec Baldwin, filmmaking workshops for ages 8 to 15 and so much more.
Running now through June 18 is the American premiere of the critically acclaimed British comedy Angry Young Men, written by Ben Woolf and directed by the East End’s own Stephen Hamilton. The audience will be seated on the stage during the fast-paced comedy about a surgeon from the Middle East who arrives in London in search of a new life.
Friday, June 23 at 8 p.m., Guild Hall will premiere the film Larsenworld: LongHouse in East Hampton, which chronicles the career and dreams of Jack Lenor Larsen, which have culminated in the richness that is LongHouse Reserve. A year in the making, the 23 minute-long film will be followed by a conversation with the filmmakers, many of the artists whose work appear in the film, and Larsen himself, all on the stage of the John Drew Theater. A reception will follow. This event is free to the community.
Check out acclaimed former late-night TV host, admired stand-up comedian, best-selling children’s book author, much-in-demand corporate speaker, lovable TV and movie voice-over artist, pioneering car builder and mechanic, and philanthropist Jay Leno on Saturday, July 1 at 7 p.m. for the Season Spectacular Benefit.
The acclaimed arts organization, Pilobolus, will show off their many ways of using the human body as a graphic and expressive medium Saturday, July 15th at 8 p.m.
Fine art will be within reach Saturday, August 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 2017 Clothesline Art Sale. The sale, which began in 1946, will feature hundreds of works of original art by East End artists. Prices start at $75 and cap at $2,200, with all proceeds split 50/50 between the artist and Guild Hall. The Clothesline Art Sale is made possible by an amazing group of dedicated volunteers.
The party of the season takes place Friday, August 11: the 2017 Summer Gala event celebrating the late Richard Avedon, an exclusive, VIP preview of the Avedon’s America exhibition. The next day, August 12, the general public get to see the exhibit, on view through October 9, displaying over 50 works from of Richard Avedon’s career. The show is a comprehensive presentation of black and-white images that are as visually striking as they are psychologically intriguing. The breadth of portraits on view inspires a deeper understanding of the many characters, ideas and relationships that shaped the cultural discourse of 20th-century America. Subjects include William F. Buckley, John Cage, Janis Joplin, Florence Kennedy, China Machado, Malcolm X and Hillary Clinton.
Also on display starting August 12 will be Jackson Pollock: The Graphic Work. Best known for his abstract poured paintings from the 1950s, Pollock also explored the art of printmaking on the way to developing his signature style. Works include six intaglios, printed from original plates, and six silkscreens. Both sets of prints are restrikes from the original plates stuck under the supervision of the late Lee Krasner, Pollock’s widow and an artist in her own right. Admission is free!
Guild Hall is located at 158 Main Street, East Hampton. 631-324-0806, guildhall.org.