Daniel Arsham's "Bronze Eroded Venus de Milo," 2020, in bronze and stainless steel, appears in the Dunes at LongHouse Reserve, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in East Hampton, N.Y. The 16-acre sculpture garden, museum and nature reserve was founded by the late textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Author Mindelle Pierce speaks about her book, "Love With No Tomorrow," at the "Garden Tea Party" and special book event at the Leiber Collection, in the hamlet of The Springs, in East Hampton, N.Y., Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022. Behind her is artist Saskia Friedrich's "Double Trouble (Catalysts of Love), 2022, of wood, paint, and aluminum. The book includes Hungarian handbag designer Judith Leiber's meeting of an American soldier, her future husband, Gerson Leiber, in the aftermath of the Holocaust in Budapest, and the 72 year romance and creative relationship that they shared. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Works by African American artist Melvin Edwards from the "Lynch Fragments - Series," made from welded steel over a Peter Marino bronze box are displayed at Peter Marino Art Foundation, in Southampton, N.Y., on June 6, 2022. The private foundation opened to the public in June 2021. (Jason Schmidt/Peter Marino Art Foundation via AP)
Jason Schmidt/Peter Marino Art Foundation via AP
Three paintings by German artist, Anselm Kiefer, from left, "Das Rote Meer," 2004, oil emulsion, shellac, soil, lead boat on canvas, "Des Meeres und der Liebe Wellen," 2017, oil emulsion, acrylic, lead on canvas, above a Peter Marino bronze box, and "Kain and Abel," 2006, oil emulsion, acrylic, charcoal, branches, chairs, and plaster on canvas appear at Peter Marino Art Foundation, in Southampton, N.Y. on June 6, 2022. The Peter Marino Collection includes contemporary and modern art and furniture. (Jason Schmidt/Peter Marino Art Foundation via AP)
Jason Schmidt/Peter Marino Art Foundation via AP
The exterior of Phillips Southampton, a gallery located in the historic Southampton Town Hall, appears on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Southampton, N.Y. The gallery includes furniture, jewelry, prints and photography, and are available for purchase. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Visitors look at Andy Warhol's portrait of "Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, from Reigning Queens (Royal Edition)," 1985, a Screenprint in colors with diamond dust at Phillips Southampton, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Southampton, N.Y. The gallery includes furniture, jewelry, prints and photography, and are available for purchase. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
The Herzog & de Meuron designed building of the Parrish Art Museum appears on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Water Mill, N.Y. The museum opened in Nov. 2012 and sits on fourteen acres of meadows off Montauk Highway. At left is German artist Isa Genzken's sculpture, "Two Orchids," 2014-2015, of cast aluminum and stainless steel, with lacquer. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
A visitor looks at Esteban Vicente's oil paintings, from left, "Untitled," 1999, "Inner Feeling," 1995, "Sound," 2000, "Untitled," 1993, and "Bridgehampton," 1994, in "Joaquín Sorolla and Esteban Vicente: In the Light of the Garden," an exhibit at the Parrish Art Museum, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Water Mill, N.Y. The show is on view until Oct. 16. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Yemen-born artist Muna Malik's "Blessing of the Boats: River to River," 2020, made of mirrored acrylic, steel, and LED lights, measuring 20 feet, is displayed on the grounds of the Parrish Art Museum, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Water Mill, N.Y. The new museum which sits on fourteen acres of meadows opened in Nov. 2012, with expansive and light-filled interior gallery spaces to display the permanent art collection and special exhibitions. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
This photo provided by Southampton Arts Center shows the works of Frank Relle, Donald Lipski, and Ned Smyth for the exhibit "A Celebration of Trees" at Southampton Arts Center in Southampton, N.Y. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. The ecological multi-media art exhibition, curated by Laurie Dolphin, Daniela Kronemeyer, and Coco Myers, is open until Dec. 18. (Rachel Bosworth/RB Collaborative/Southampton Arts Center via AP)
Rachel Bosworth/RB Collaborative/Southampton Arts Center via AP
The exterior and West Lawn of the Southampton Arts Center, with sculptures from “Figures Transformed,” a multimedia exhibit appears on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in Southampton, N.Y. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
The Church, an arts center in a former 19th century Methodist Church, co-founded by artists, Eric Fischl, and April Gornik, appears in Sag Harbor, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. It opened in Spring 2021, as a light filled, flexible art exhibition space, with artist residencies and a garden. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Various art is displayed inside The Church, an arts center in a former 19th century Methodist Church, co-founded by artists, Eric Fischl, and April Gornik, in Sag Harbor, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. Opened in 2021, it's a light-filled, flexible exhibition space, with artist residencies and a garden. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Visitors tour the art studio where American Abstract Expressionist artist Jackson Pollock created his action paintings in 1945 until his death in 1956, at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in The Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton, N.Y. Pollock and his wife, artist Lee Krasner, married in 1945 and moved to the house and converted the barn into an art studio. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
The home of American abstract expressionist painter Jackson Pollock and his wife, artist Lee Krasner appears on June 6, 2021, in East Hampton, N.Y. The couple moved to the house in 1945 and converted the barn into an art studio. In the studio, you can walk, in protective slippers, on the paint-splattered floor that preserves Pollock’s footprints and evidence of his most famous poured paintings. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Handbags by Hungarian designer Judith Leiber are displayed at the Leiber Collection in East Hampton, N.Y., on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. The couture handbags are made with Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones, and other accessories. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Sarcophagi sculptures by New York-based artist Adam Parker Smith "Standing on the Moon," presented in partnership with The Hole NYC, are displayed on the grounds of The Watermill Center, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Water Mill, N.Y. The artwork, made of resin, steel, and urethane, and resembling sub-zero sleeping bags, will be on view through March 2023. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Will Barnett's "Gerson Leiber and Judith Leiber," painted in 2000, showing modernist artist Gerson Leiber and Hungarian handbag designer Judith Leiber, is displayed at the entrance to the galleries in the Leiber Collection, in the hamlet of The Springs, in East Hampton, N.Y., Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. The Renaissance-styled Palladian museum houses Judith Leiber's couture handbags and other accessories as well as paintings by her husband, Gerson Leiber. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
House paint and black floor enamel used by American Abstract Expressionist artist Jackson Pollock appear on the floor in the artist's studio at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center on Sunday, June 6, 2021, in The Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton, N.Y. Visitors can reserve tickets for a docent-led tour. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
House paints and Pyrex basting syringes used by American Abstract Expressionist artist Jackson Pollock are displayed on a shelf in the artist's studio at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in The Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton, N.Y. The Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center is preserved and developed by the Stony Brook Foundation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Stony Brook University. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
A detail of Ai Weiwei's "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads," 2010, bronze, edition 6/6, from a private collection is displayed around the Edward Albee Amphitheater on the grounds at LongHouse Reserve, in East Hampton, N.Y., on Sept. 9, 2022. The 16-acre sculpture garden, museum and nature reserve was founded by the late textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Toshiko Takaezu's "The Gateway Bell," 1993, bronze with wood construction, stands in the Dunes at LongHouse Reserve, Friday, Sept. 16, 2022, in East Hampton, N.Y. The 16-acre sculpture garden, museum and nature reserve was founded by the late textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
A visitor looks at Garden Nymphs outside the Renaissance-styled Palladian museum that houses The Leiber Collection Friday, Sept. 17, 2022, in the hamlet of The Springs, in East Hampton, N.Y. The Leiber Collection Sculpture Garden is filled with art, some by Gerson, and also features exhibitions. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
The home of the late textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen appears at sunset at LongHouse Reserve, Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in East Hampton, N.Y. The reserve encompasses almost 16 acres of the Northwest Woods in East Hampton, on Long Island. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Doris Brautigan looks at Marko Remec's "Would That I Wish For, (Tall Totem)," made of wood, acrylic steel convex dome mirrors, on display at LongHouse Reserve, Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in East Hampton, N.Y. The 16-acre sculpture garden, museum and nature reserve was founded by the late textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Various handbags by Hungarian designer Judith Leiber, counter clockwise from left, Gold Horse Minaudière with Jet Eyes and rhinestones, Gold Seashell Shaped Minaudière with ruby details, Obi Fabric with rhinestones re-embroidery and a rhinestone frame, and Gold Kid Hatbox with crystal rhinestones on the handle and strap, are displayed at the Leiber Collection in East Hampton, N.Y., on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
The exterior of the Peter Marino Art Foundation appears on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, in Southampton, N.Y. The building houses The Peter Marino Collection of contemporary and modern art and furniture, Old Master paintings, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquities, Renaissance and Baroque Bronzes, 20th century photography, French ceramics, and rare books. It reopens for public tours on Memorial Day weekend, May 26 -27, 2023. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
Large bronze sculptures from the series, "Myth of Singularity" by artist Liz Glynn line a pathway at The Watermill Center, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022, in Water Mill, N.Y. The Watermill Center, founded in 1992 by theater director and artist Robert Wilson, offers artist residencies and educational programs. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
AP Photo/Pamela Hassell
The exterior of American Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock's art studio appears at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center on Sunday, June 6, 2021, in The Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton, N.Y. Pollock and his wife, artist Lee Krasner, moved to the house in 1945 and converted the barn into an art studio. (AP Photo/Pamela Hassell)
On the eastern end of Long Island, New York, lies a trove of art venues and a rich cultural scene to explore at leisure. You can find works in lush gardens and meadows, on manicured lawns, around ponds with waterlilies, by marshy creeks, and in historic Hamptons buildings.
The list of galleries and arts centers has grown longer just in the last few years.
The area, a few hours east of New York City, has drawn artists since the 19th century. It thrives on summer tourism, so the art season kicks off in spring and peaks in late autumn. Indoor and outdoor exhibits change regularly, and some venues are open year-round.
Many also include the performing arts, as well as educational programs.
Some highlights:
LONGHOUSE RESERVE
This 16-acre sculpture garden, museum and nature reserve was founded by the late textile designer and collector Jack Lenor Larsen. His house, inspired by a shrine in Japan and designed by Charles Fourberg, sits near the edge of a waterlily pond. Prominently displayed is Dale Chihuly’s “Cobalt Reeds,” of blue blown glass. At the entrance to a garden sanctuary, you can ring Toshiko Takaezu’s “The Gateway Bell,” of bronze and wood. The resonant sound creates a mindful state. Other works among the nearly 60 on display include Daniel Arsham’s “Bronze Eroded Venus de Milo”; Buckminster Fuller’s “Fly’s Eye Dome,” in fiberglass; Marko Remec’s “Would That I Wish For (Tall Totem),” in mixed media; Jun Kaneko’s glazed ceramic “Dango”; Ai Weiwei’s bronze “Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads”; and Sol Lewitt’s minimalist “Irregular Progression High #7.”
POLLOCK-KRASNER HOUSE AND STUDY CENTER
A National Historic Landmark in The Springs, a hamlet in East Hampton, the shingled house overlooking a salt marsh was home to Abstract Expressionist painter Jackson Pollock and his wife, artist Lee Krasner. Pollock’s jazz record collection and the artists’ library are intact. Visitors can reserve tickets for a docent-led tour. In the studio, you can walk, in protective slippers, on the paint-splattered floor that preserves Pollock’s footprints and evidence of his most famous poured paintings, created between 1946-52, such as “Autumn Rhythm,” “Blue Poles” and “Convergence.” Preserved and developed by the Stony Brook Foundation, this is immersive, artistic experience.
LEIBER COLLECTION
A Palladian-style building houses the collection of Hungarian-born handbag designer Judith Leiber. On display are elegant, couture handbags made with Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones, and other accessories, as well as paintings by Leiber’s husband, Gerson Leiber, a modernist artist. An adjoining sculpture garden hosts exhibitions, currently featuring East End artists.
THE WATERMILL CENTER
An interdisciplinary campus with studios for the arts and humanities, open year-round. It sits on 10 acres of Shinnecock ancestral territory with manicured lawns and gardens in Water Mill, New York. The center was founded in 1992 by theater director and visual artist Robert Wilson, and includes a curated art collection, artist residencies and educational programs. Works currently on view include Adam Parker Smith’s “Standing on the Moon,” with sarcophagi in the woods, and a Christopher Knowles exhibition, “Stand.”
PETER MARINO ART FOUNDATION
The Peter Marino Collection includes contemporary and modern art and furniture; Old Master paintings and drawings; antiquities; Renaissance and Baroque bronzes; rare books and more. It opened to the public in Southampton in 2021. Marino, an architect, collected art for over 40 years. There are more than 150 works on display, including, recently, 10 by German artist Anselm Kiefer. Marino purchased the former Rogers Memorial Library, restoring its historical façade and redesigning the interior to showcase his collection. A guided tour is recommended.
PHILLIPS SOUTHAMPTON
The global auction house expanded its business in 2020 to move closer to its New York-based clientele after many wealthy people left New York City because of COVID. The gallery occupies the historic Southampton Town Hall. Works on view include furniture, jewelry, prints and photography, and are available for purchase. Special events and rotating exhibits support the work of local artists. On Sept. 9, the day after Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II died, the first art seen from the street here was Andy Warhol ‘s “Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, from Reigning Queens (Royal Edition),” a screenprint finished with diamond dust.
PARRISH ART MUSEUM
Founded in 1898, this is the oldest cultural institution on the East End of Long Island. It’s more than 3,000 works range from early 19th century landscape paintings through American Impressionism and on into the present day. The museum sits on 14 acres of meadows; outdoor installations include tall sculptures by Roy Lichtenstein and Isa Genzken. Upcoming exhibits: “Mel Kendrick: Seeing Things in Things” opens Nov. 6, on view through Feb. 19, 2023, and “Frida Kahlo” opens Nov. 20, on view through March 2023.
SOUTHAMPTON ARTS CENTER
Admission is free to this center, nestled among eateries, shops and galleries. A multimedia show, “A Celebration of Trees,” is open through Dec. 18. A recent show, “Figures Transformed,” included work inspired by the figure, and can still be seen on a 3-D tour in a Virtual Gallery presentation.
THE CHURCH
This arts center, in a former 19th century Methodist Church, was co-founded by artists Eric Fischl and April Gornik in Sag Harbor and opened in 2021. It’s a light-filled, flexible exhibition space, with artist residencies and a garden. Windows feature Fischl’s portraits of local architects, artists, writers, inventors and other creatives. Recently on display were works by Louise Bourgeois, Hank Willis Thomas, Laurie Lambrecht, Kiki Smith, and others, now available for viewing on the website. “Hand Made: Guitars, According to G.E. Smith and the American Artists’ Hand Archive,” an exhibit with 16 rare, classic guitars and a collection of bronze-cast sculptures of visual artists’ hands, is on display through Dec. 22.
THE RANCH
A new indoor-outdoor exhibition space and gallery that sits on an active horse farm and showcases contemporary art. Horses, geese and other wildlife might be present while you view the art in a picturesque environment. The current “Frank Stella: Sculpture” show, which ends Nov. 1, comprises five monumental works made from 1993 to the present.
