2024 Summer Benefit
IMAGINATION
Tony Bechara and Kenny Scharf Honored
Saturday, July 20, 2024
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LongHouse Reserve’s annual Summer Benefit, Saturday July 20th, honors artists Tony Bechara and Kenny Scharf. Philanthropist Estrellita Brodskyand artist Randy Polumbo will present the awards, respectively. Larger-than-life queer artist Machine Dazzle will emcee. Benefit Co-Chairs are Anne Erni and Nina Gillman.
The theme of the evening is IMAGINATION. Guests will dress in vibrant colors, with whimsical accessories and unconventional pairings. From 6 – 8pm, the 16-acre nature reserve will come alive with surprise activations throughout the garden, including music by Certain Moves, and performances by Time Lapse Dance (choreographed by Jody Sperling). Visit current works on loan and permanent favorite sculptures from Daniel Arsham, Toshiko Takaezu, Agathe Snow, Yoko Ono, Sol LeWitt, Ai Weiwei, and more. Seated dinner and program follows. At 9pm the afterparty, IMAGINATION Dance Party, begins with desserts, DJ, and dancing, led by Junior Chairs Emma Wrazej.
“We are recognizing Kenny Scharf for his contributions to culture and his celebration of comics, amusement, and the underground”, said LongHouse Director Carrie Rebora Barratt, “and Tony Bechara for his dynamic, meticulous paintings, and a life devoted to promoting Latin culture in the arts.”
The benefit’s online Art Auction goes live on June 20th, with works by Annie Albers, Bjorn Amelan, Laurie Anderson, Alice Aycock, Maria Bacardi, Tony Bechara, Lynda Benglis, Max Blagg, Scott Bluedorn, Gustavo Bonavardi, Francisco Daniel Cabrera, Philippe Cheng, Don Christensen, Mr. Star City, Liz Collins, Peter Dayton, Dawn DeDeaux, Michael de Feo, Eric Dever, Maryam Eisler, Eric Fischl, Kurt Giehl, Nina Gillman, Burt Glinn, John Haubrich, Mary Heilmann, Alice Hope, Fitzhugh Karol, Mel Kendrick, Lana Kova, Laurie Lambrecht, Martine Langatta, Robert Longo, Christa Maiwald, Mark Mennin, Steve Miller, Oscar Molina, Jeff Muhs, Pat Place, Randy Polumbo, Dalton Portella, Marko Remec, Marcia Resnick, Rene Ricard, Brent Richardson, Ugo Rondinone, Toni Ross, Martha Russo, Kenny Schachter, Kenny Scharf, Bastienne Schmidt, Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, Agathe Snow, Clintel Steed, Suzannah Wainhouse, Jeff Lion Weinstock, Robert Wilson, Mark Wilson, and Almond Zigmund.
Paola Lenti, the luxury Italian furniture brand, is exhibiting over 100 pieces – armchairs, sofas, poufs, tables, and parasol umbrellas – at LongHouse this summer. Benefit guests will get to experience the curated contemporary arrangements throughout the garden. They feature natural woods, rich textures, organic color palettes, as well as weather-resistant fabrics and eco-friendly fibers, which are visually striking, durable, and sustainable. The spaces offer a special respite from the summer sun, and a place to kick back and relax from all the dancing!
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LongHouse gratefully acknowledges sponsors Aphrodise, Charleigh Charitable Trust, EPIC Insurance, Paola Lenti, Matchbook Distillery, Marders, J. McLaughlin, Northwestern Mutual, Sagg Distillery, John Shea (Senior Partner Twomey, Latham, Shea, Kelley, Dubin, Quartararo, LLP), Wölffer Estate Vineyard, and Your Part-Time Controller.
Individual tickets for LongHouse Reserve’s Summer Benefit start at $1,500. After-party tickets are $175. For more information visit www.LongHouse.org.
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Tony Bechara
Tony Bechara is an artist living and working in New York, who has produced a large and significant body of abstract work based on principles of color usage, organization and randomness. His paintings tackle phenomenological questions that explore historical problems associated with representation, the visual, and ultimately visibility itself. Bechara’s work is represented in numerous private and public collections. He has had solo exhibitions in New York, Washington, Miami, San Juan, Lima, Mexico and Munich. Bechara has participated in group exhibitions at the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, the Whitney Biennial, Boulder Fine Arts, P.S.1, Artists Space, El Museo del Barrio and the Museum of Latin American Art in California, amongst others.
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Kenny Scharf
Kenny Scharf is an American painter known for his participation in New York City’s interdisciplinary East Village art scene during the 1980s, alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Scharf’s do-it-yourself practice spanned painting, sculpture, fashion, video, performance art, and street art. Growing up in post-World War II Southern California, Scharf was fascinated by television and the futuristic promise of modern design. His works often includes pop culture icons, such as the Flintstones and the Jetsons, or caricatures of middle-class Americans in an apocalyptic science fiction setting.
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LongHouse Reserve
Nestled within the idyllic landscapes of East Hampton, Longhouse Reserve is a 16-acre sanctuary where the arts and nature converge, creating a haven for those seeking inspiration and serenity. Our unique venue offers curated gardens and outdoor art installations that invite individuals to embark on a journey of discovery, connecting with the beauty that surrounds us.
LongHouse Reserve was created by artist, collector and world-renowned textile designer and weaver Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020) with a mission to inspire living with art in all forms. Over the past two years, LongHouse has transitioned from a founder-led to board and staff-led public institution, serving the community with vast open space, programs in art, nature, and wellness, providing a sanctuary for Long Island and beyond. The sculpture garden, featuring more than 60 outdoor works—including permanent collection works by Buckminster Fuller, Yoko Ono, Toshiko Takaezu, and Willem de Kooning, and seasonal loans from artists such as Maren Hassinger, Kenny Scharf, Isamu Noguchi, and Ai Weiwei—encourages exploration and contemplation for new and repeat visitors alike. As of this year, the garden is fully open to the public for education and enjoyment, with a next chapter of activating Larsen’s home (a modernist structure based on the Shinto Shrine at Ise) and displaying his extensive craft and design collections.
The mission of LongHouse Reserve is to inspire living with art in all forms. The LongHouse vision is to serve as a living case study of the ever-changing interactions between nature, people, and art. The collections, gardens, art, and programs reflect world cultures and foster a creative life. Core values of creativity, resilience, and sustainability spell out LongHouse’s intentions in the years ahead. LongHouse puts its visitors first with a pledge to inspire creativity, offering a place for respite and community in a garden that will forever flourish without chemicals or harm to nature.
LongHouse Reserve is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:30pm until 5pm. A Membership allows you to visit throughout the season, and come early on Saturday mornings starting at 10:30am. General admission is $20, with half price tickets for seniors, and no charge for veterans, active-duty personnel, children under 12, and students with valid school/college ID.
More information is available at www.longhouse.org.
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AAQ / Resource: Ben Krupinski Builder
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AAQ / Resource: Westhampton Architectural Glass
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