Guild Hall’s summer exhibition schedule reflects both the interdisciplinary nature of the institution and the conviction of Melanie Crader, its museum director and curator of visual arts, that “artists’ creative output extends into every aspect of their lives. I think we’re all fascinated with how artists live and view the world.”
The venue will open its galleries on Sunday with a group exhibition, “Functional Relationships: Artist-Made Furniture,” and “Wading Room,” an environment created by Almond Zigmund. Both shows will run through July 13.
“Functional Relationships,” which uses Donald Judd as a historical reference, features East End artists who make functional furniture as an extension of their creative practice — as a means of problem-solving, to create an element of designed living, and to form social spaces, thereby incorporating art into many aspects of their daily lives.
“The furniture show is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Ms. Crader, who added that when she was applying for the job at Guild Hall she pitched the idea to Andrea Grover, its executive director. “We’re going to have a beautiful John Chamberlain couch that I saw in 2009, and I always think about it.” Made out of foam blocks, the couch is draped in parachute fabric.
The exhibition includes work by Scott Bluedorn, Liz Collins, Quentin Curry, Peter Dayton, Connie Fox, Kurt Gumaer, Mary Heilmann, Yung Jake, Julian Schnabel, Karen Simon, Strong-Cuevas, Mark Wilson, Robert Wilson, Evan Yee, Nico Yektai, Ms. Zigmund, Judd, and Chamberlain.
In collaboration with the John Chamberlain Estate, Alexandra Fairweather, the artist’s stepdaughter and director of the estate, will be joined by guests on June 22 for a discussion on the intersection of art, design, and the impact of Chamberlain’s work.
While “Functional Relationships” will be a more traditional museum show, insofar as the public will not be able to interact with or touch the works, “Wading Room” is a different story.
“I tapped Almond to do a site-specific installation and also create an environment where we can have public participatory programs,” Ms. Crader said. The gallery will show Ms. Zigmund’s artworks on the walls, as well as furniture she made, and furniture made by other artists. “One of the reasons I wanted to work with Almond was that, as the creator of the Artists and Writers dinners at Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton, I knew she would be really engaging and think of interesting public programs.”
One project will be “Zigmund’s Hook Up,” a two-month-long communal latch hook rug mosaic that will evolve throughout the time the show is on view. Upon its completion, the latch hook becomes part of the Wading Room. The launch of the rug mosaic is set for May 10 at noon.
Another is “Zigmund’s Show and Tell Session” (May 24), for which community members can take their own slides or someone else’s, including slides of old artwork, vacations, or whatever else is worth sharing.
For “Zigmund’s Wrap Session” (June 21), members of the public are invited to take objects they no longer need and then wrap them in such a way as to transform them into art objects. There will also be a collaborative drawing and design session.
“You’ll be able to sit down and use everything in ‘Wading Room.’ You’ll be able to have coffee there and be encouraged to stay and socialize,” Ms. Crader said.
Ms. Zigmund makes large-scale site-responsive installations, discrete sculptures, works on paper, and paintings. Combining crisp geometry, vivid color, and intricate patterns, her sculptures and installations often suggest walls, barricades, enclosures, and other aspects of the built environment.
A members-only preview will be held on Saturday from noon to 5; a reception will happen from 3 to 5.
