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Arts & Entertainment

Guild Hall Artist Members Show Ushers in Hamptons Art Season

The 73rd annual exhibition drew crowds at Saturday's opening.

’s 73rd Annual Artist Members Exhibition, the oldest non-juried museum exhibition on Long Island that ushers in the Hamptons art season, drew a crowd at the on Saturday.

“This is an important exhibition for the community and that's why we host it every year,” said Michelle Klein, exhibition organizer and Guild Hall assistant curator.

While open to everyone, artwork is judged and prizes award by an art world professional. The Top Honor winner receives a solo show at Guild Hall Museum.  Discovering who won and the art that drew the judge’s eye are both reasons for the show’s popularity.

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“It’s a galvanizing feeling to see who won and to be happy for each other,” said Christa Maiwald, this year's top winner. She has been a part of the show since around 1990, she said.

The show was judged by Deborah Cullen, Ph.D., the Director of Curatorial Programs at El Museo del Barrio in New York City.

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Maiwald’s art is a political embroidery titled "Latin Songbirds." It features the heads of three “left-leaning Latin American Leaders who are trying to reverse a history of rule by wealthy oligarchies…” Each face occupies the body of a bird from their country, explained Maiwald. The leaders are Evo Morales from Bolivia, Hugo Chavez from Venezuela and Rafael Correa from Ecuador.

In a written statement, Cullen said, “It’s compelling in its concept…It is very, very unique and has an original voice…”

Awards were bestowed in eight categories. Philippe Cheng won Best Abstract Painting. Pat Moran won Best Representational Painting. Mary Ellen Bartley won Best Photograph. Lawrence Wolfson won Best Work on Paper. Jeff Muhs won Best Sculpture. Janet Culbertson won Best Mixed Media. Darlene Charneco won the Catherine and Theo Hios Best Landscape Award. Best New Artist went to Athena Savalas for her drawing of Chuck Close.

Honorable Mentions went to Laura Benjamin, John Philip Capello, Jack Dowd, Lawrence Ellenberg, David Gamble, Gerry Giliberti, Barbara Groot, Grant Haffner, Anna Plesset, Robert Schwarz, Michael Slifka and Gil Turpin.

All the winners have participated in the Members Show for years. Reasons cited include being part of the artistic community, connecting with other artists and the chance for a solo show at the museum.

The Members Show unofficially ushers in the Hamptons art season, Klein said. It also provides the chance for area artists to reconnect and see what other artists have been up to over the winter, said Charneco.

In these tough economic times, being part of the show is also the right thing to do, said Cheng. Artists pay an exhibition submission fee and for a Guild Hall membership. “People might think an institute like this doesn’t need our support and that’s not true,” Cheng said. “They need it now more than ever.”  

Over 300 artists are included in this year’s show. It remains on view through June 11. A Meet the Winners event will be held on June 4.

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