The Parrish Art Museum extended the hours of its two opening receptions last weekend to accommodate the enthusiastic response from members and the community eager to view the new installation of works from the Permanent Collection, and the Artists Choose Artists Exhibition. Both the Friday Members Reception and the Saturday VIP opening were rescheduled from 6-8pm to 5-8pm, adding another hour to each night. “We were thrilled and truly heartened by the overwhelming support from the community for this milestone in the Museum’s history,” said Director Terrie Sultan.

The works now on view from the permanent collection included several important new acquisitions including Fifth Street by Caio Fonseca and Egyptian Painting: Sahura, 1980 by Dorothea Rockburne. Nearly all of the 21 participants with work in Artists Choose Artists were on hand throughout the weekend, answering questions and discussing their process with Museum guests. Participating artists in attendance included Laurie Anderson, Judith Hudson, Mel Kendrick, Ned Smyth and Keith Sonnier—all jurors in Artists Choose Artists—and Donald Sultan, whose work Lemon is currently on view in the new Permanent Collection Galleries. Artists of note who attended the openings as guests included Eric Fischl, April Gornik, Bryan Hunt, Mary Heilmann.

Additional VIPs at the event included Parrish Board Chair Fred Seegal and his wife Robin, Board President Peter Haveles and Elizabeth Haveles, Trustee Deborah Bancroft, Elizabeth Balzer, daughter of the late artist Fairfield Porter, musician G.E. Smith, Gabrielle and Louis Bacon, and Amy Oppenheim, wife of the late artist Dennis Oppenheim, whose work Splash Buildings, 2009 was installed in the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation Gallery.

The Parrish Art Museum is the oldest cultural institution on the East End of Long Island, uniquely situated within one of the most concentrated creative communities in the United States. The Parrish is dedicated to the collection, preservation, interpretation, and dissemination of art from the nineteenth century to the present, with a particular focus on honoring the rich creative legacy of the East End, celebrating the region’s enduring heritage as a vibrant art colony, telling the story of our area, our “sense of place,” and its national—even global—impact on the world of art. The Parrish is committed to educational outreach, to serving as a dynamic cultural resource for its diverse community, and to celebrating artistic innovation for generations to come.

Photo Credit: Sunny Khalsa