The Larsen Salon series of lectures at East Hampton’s LongHouse Reserve will return on Saturday at 5 p.m. with “The American Dream: The Architecture of Central Park South,” a presentation by Michael Jones, a partner at RAMSA, Robert A.M. Stern Architects.
The talk will highlight the characters who left their mark on the area, including developers (Harry Black, Steve Ross); visionary designers (Emery Roth, Dorothy Draper), and notable socialites (Truman Capote among them). Mr. Jones will examine the architectural features of iconic buildings, among them Hampshire House, Hotel St. Moritz, and the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, which have all played an important role in shaping mixed-use, high-rise residential spaces. He will also discuss how this historical context influenced the design of three of his projects for RAMSA: 15 Central Park West, 220 Central Park South, and 520 Park Avenue.
Internationally, Mr. Jones has led the design of modern classical residential communities in Lima, Peru, and the design of the Hong Kong Golf and Tennis Academy. He is the co-author of “City Living: Apartment Houses by Robert A.M. Stern Architects,” published in 2016.
Named in honor of Jack Lenor Larsen, LongHouse’s founder, the lecture series features conversations and presentations by designers, architects, and artists working at the intersection of art, architecture, design, and craft.
InsiderOutsider: New Voices in the Art World, another LongHouse series, focuses on underrepresented artists who challenge convention and expand the parameters of contemporary art. Moderated by Mago, an artist and curator, this year’s series is presented in collaboration with Jeremy Dennis and the artists in residence at Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio on the Shinnecock Reservation in Southampton.
Jake Kimble, a multidisciplinary Chipewyan artist and curator from Canada’s Northwest Territories, will launch this year’s series on Sunday at 3 p.m. with a talk on the inherent quality of humor in Indigenous art. Their practice revolves around acts of self-care, self-repair, and gender-based ideological refusal, according to Ma’s House.
Using humor as a tool, Mr. Kimble explores themes of existentialism, narcissism, and the strange, inviting viewers to examine the absurdities that exist within everyday life.
In the talk, they will illuminate how a subversive layer of humor speaks directly to Indigenous people, signaling resilience and presence. They will present examples from Shelley Niro, Dana Claxton, Lori Blondeau, Adrian Stimson, and Kent Monkman.
Tickets to each program are $35, $25 for members.
