LongHouse Reserve: ‘DayDreams’, Book by James Salomon & LongHouse Reserve Launches 8.13th

DayDreams 

Book from James Salomon and LongHouse Reserve 

Daydream Among Artwork and Text by Ai Weiwei, Laurie Anderson, Renée Cox, Eric Fischl, Buckminster Fuller, Philip Glass, Toni Ross, Julian Schnabel, Sean Scully, Dustin Yellin, and more 

Launch Event August 13, 2026 

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Cover Image: Jack Lenor Larsen’s “Hills of Home” (1970) printed silk textile,
from the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
(Copyright Cowtan & Tout, Inc.) 

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In a world that commands your focus, we invite you
to come to the Garden with your DayDreams
— James Salomon  

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LongHouse Reserve and James Salomon announce a new book – DayDreams – featuring artwork and written contributions from 44 artists who have deep connections with LongHouse and founder Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020). Grounded in LongHouse’s tradition of community engagement, DayDreams invites readers to move beyond the physical experience of the gardens and into a deeper exploration of imagination and creativity. 

Coming August 2026, artists (including Ai Weiwei, Laurie Anderson, Renee Cox, Buckminster Fuller, Philip Glass, Julian Schnabel, Sean Scully, Dustin Yellin, and more) were asked to recount a personal reverie, in poetry and prose. The book will be on sale exclusively through InStore and the LongHouse gift shop by mid July. A launch party will take place at LongHouse on Thursday, August 13th, where many participating artists will be in attendance, some of whom will be reading their daydream stories. More information at www.LongHouse.org. 

44 internationally and regionally acclaimed artists have shared their artwork and memories. Each has a special connection to LongHouse, some knew Jack Lenor Larsen and exhibited at LongHouse. All have visited and were inspired by the beauty of the garden and Larsen’s extensive collections. They include artists working at the intersection of art, nature, and humanity: Ai Weiwei, Bjorn Amelan, Vija Celmins, Renée Cox, Maren Hassinger, Benjamin Keating, Jill Platner, Cheryl R. Riley; East Enders Laurie Anderson, Monica Banks, Scott Bluedorn, Quentin Curry, Jeremy Dennis, Eric Fischl, Alice Hope, Candace Hill-Montgomery, Fitzhugh Karol, Laurie Lambrecht, Joel Mesler, Steve Miller, Oscar Molina, Jill Moser, Ugo Rondinone, Toni Ross, Kiki Smith, Agathe Snow, Mark Wilson, and Almond Zigmund; as well as inspired works by Noah Becker, Melinda Hackett, Michael Halsband, Lori Hawkins, Judith Hudson, Richard Landry, Jill Musnicki, Dustin Yellin. The book is beautiful with artwork but also rich and diverse in content. There are thoughts on Jack Lenor Larsen from Dianne Benson, musings on Buckminster Fuller by Alastair Gordon, a reflection on Toshiko Takaezu by Carrie Rebora Barratt, and a poetic homage to Lawrence Weiner by James Salomon, while Andrea Grover offers a beautiful and bold story. Liz Collins, Philip Glass, Julian Schnabel, and Sean Scully contributed handwritten notes. 

In his introduction, design historian and LongHouse Curator at Large, Glenn Adamson writes, “This makes the daydream the perfect subject for an art book, for it stands in relation to everyday life as art does to the rest of society. Alone among us, painters and poets are granted — they grant themselves — the right to explore their own awareness, with no predetermined end in mind.” Adamson continues, “Artists work just as hard, or harder, than anyone else, and almost invariably they do impose parameters on their creative practice, laying down a pathway through the vastness of what’s possible. That infinite expanse does remain on all sides though not seen (for how could it be?), but rather felt.” 

Dianne Benson calls this book “James Salomon’s love letter to LongHouse” and writes about her friend, “visionary founder Jack Lenor Larsen, a genius who defies easy description: a weaver and textile designer doesn’t begin to address his expansive cultural universe nor the profound influence he exerted on those lucky enough to be around him. He was a weaver of ideas – almost Biblical in his ability to cross-fertalize. He freely tossed his opinions about as if each were a golden nugget, sometimes they lit up the room and other times were shockingly radical… Though sometimes rogue, more often statesmanlike, Jack realized his dream in the creation of LongHouse.” Benson continues, “Having LongHouse in your heart is akin to a kind of dreamscape for its concept was conjured by a man who lived with one foot in the clouds and the other on a very verdant earth.” 

The second in a series launched last summer at Berkshire Botanical Garden, DayDreams inspires community at the intersection of art and nature, and elevates understanding of the human experience in a novel and memorable way. 

DayDreams is a softcover book with 116 pages, designed by Seth Sgorbati. The first edition will print 400 copies. It will retail for $40 and be available for purchase during the launch event and afterwards at the LongHouse gift shop. Proceeds will support educational initiatives at LongHouse Reserve. 

This publication was made possible with the generous support of the Dorothea Leonhardt Fund at the Communities Foundation of Texas, Inc., Sophie Sutton & Jeff Drubner, Jonathan Canno & Pierce Canno Roberts, Jeff Gates & Mike Moran, Christina & Nick Martin with Martin Architects, and anonymous friends of LongHouse.

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JAMES SALOMON 

James Salomon grew up in Westhampton Beach, and has been a prominent figure in the East End art scene since running Salomon Contemporary Warehouse in East Hampton from 2005 to 2010. He is currently the Director of Design Projects at Achille Salvagni Atelier in New York, a curator at large, and occasional contributor to art and lifestyle publications. He lives in Millerton, NY. 

LONGHOUSE RESERVE 

Nestled within the idyllic landscapes of East Hampton, Longhouse Reserve is a sanctuary in a 16-acre environment where the arts and nature converge, creating a haven for those seeking inspiration and serenity. Founded by artist, collector, and world-renowned textile designer and weaver Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020), the mission 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. 

The unique venue offers curated gardens, outdoor art installations, and engaging programs that invite individuals to embark on a journey of discovery, connecting with the beauty that surrounds us. Current infrastructure work around the property leads us to the promise of opening the house for public tours, an offering that our founder desired and which we pledge to complete as soon as possible.  

LongHouse has been invited to join the National Register of Historic Places, leading to landmark status and preservation in perpetuity. 

Over the past five 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 major works by Buckminster Fuller, Yoko Ono, Toshiko Takaezu, and Willem de Kooning, and seasonal loans from artists such as Maren Hassinger, William Kentridge, Kenny Scharf, Sean Scully, and Gaston Lachaise—encourages exploration and contemplation for new and repeat visitors alike. The garden is fully open to the public for education and enjoyment, with a next chapter of welcoming visitors into Larsen’s home (a modernist structure based on the Shinto Shrine at Ise), so that all can see his extensive craft and design collections. 

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. 

Learn more about LongHouse by downloading the Bloomberg Connects App and searching LongHouse Reserve. 

TO VISIT LONGHOUSE RESERVE:  

LongHouse Reserve is open Wednesdays through Sundays from 12:30pm until 5pm. A Membership allows you to visit throughout the season, and come early for Member Mornings on Saturday and Sunday (10:30am – 12:30pm) for art making, walking, and special programs. General admission is $20, with half price tickets for seniors, and no charge for veterans, active-duty personnel, members of the Shinnecock Nation, children under 12, and students with valid school/college ID.

More information is available at www.longhouse.org.