In 1955, under the auspices of the Museum of Modern Art’s education department, the department’s director, Victor D’Amico, brought summer art classes to the East End, first at Ashawagh Hall in Springs and subsequently on a decommissioned Navy barge towed from Jersey City to Napeague Harbor.
Overlooking the harbor and the surrounding meadows, the D’Amico Institute of Art’s mission of making art education accessible to all has, like the barge itself, withstood the forces that have changed so much of the East End.
This summer’s classes will begin at the Art Barge on Monday morning at 9 with Studio Process, taught by Michael Rosch. The class provides individual instruction to artists at all levels of experience in a group session. Artists can use any medium, and are encouraged to take their own paints, brushes, and painting surfaces.
Studio Process classes will continue weekdays from 9 till noon through Sept. 23, with a different instructor each week. Other teachers include Jennifer Cross, David Joel, Bill Nagle, Christopher Kohan, Sue Gussow, and Perry Burns.
Also set for Monday is Intro to Clay with Serina Mayer. For beginners only, the classes will meet Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m. next week and the weeks beginning June 10 and June 17.
The schedule shifts into higher gear on June 10 with Water-Based Painting with Sam Marks, Collage with Patricia Feiwel, and Introduction to Studio Process with Mr. Kohan.
Other weeklong classes during June include Encaustic with Linda Sirow, Painting on Location in Montauk with Aurelio Torres, Relief Printmaking and Cyanotypes with Mr. Marks, Painting: Exploration of Expressionism with Rosalind Brenner, and Glass Fusing/Mosaics with Isabella Rupp.
This year is a Mabel D’Amico-centered one, with new fabric collage, weaving, glass fusing/mosaics, and collage techniques classes inspired by Mabel’s artwork.
Other mediums are pastel, assemblage, drawing, stained glass, drypoint printmaking, painting the model, image transfer, box art, and screenprinting.
Classes will continue through Sept. 27. Most weeklong classes cost $350, but the website is the place to visit for a complete schedule of classes, instructors, and fees.
