When it comes to celebrating the arts, the eastern end of Long Island seems to up the ante with each passing year. In 2021, Andy Warhol’s former Montauk Ranch opened to the public as an indoor-outdoor exhibition space; in 2022, fashion designer Lisa Perry opened her women-first Oona Gallery in East Hampton. Over in Watermill, the Parrish Art Museum has organized some serious programming recently—presenting works by Hank Willis Thomas, Simón Vega, and KAWS—and will be the new custodian of Susan Pear Meisel and Louis K. Meisel’s idyllic Sagaponack Sculpture Field. That news was announced over the weekend, at one of two benefit fundraisers hosted at the sprawling Herzog de Meuron-designed museum. A look at them both, below.
Parrish Midsummer Gala Dinner
On Saturday night, a group gathered to celebrate Brian Donnelly (better known as KAWS), Sean Scully, and Shirin Neshat. After the day’s rain eased up, guests enjoyed a cocktail hour on the Parrish’s deck—and a tour of “KAWS: Time Off,” now on view at the museum—before finding their way to gorgeously set dinner tables replete with orchids in a shade of silvery blue. (Given that artists have long found inspiration and conducive work environs over on Long Island, there were a handful of them present, including Futura, Sanford Biggers, Alice Aycock, Tony Bechara, Arcmanoro Niles, Liliane Tomasko, Ralph Gibson, Eddie Martinez, Sam Moyer, Jose Parla, Hank Willis Thomas, Enoc Perez, David Smalling, Jeremy Dennis, Nina Yankowitz, and Donnelly’s wife, Julia Chiang, who also has a show at the Parrish this summer.) Donnelly, whose works most assuredly adorn a handful of homes out on Long Island, could be seen posing for photos with Sharon Horowitz, who wore a jacket with a KAWS piece printed on the back.
Midway through dinner, an auction led by Christie’s Rachael White Young ensued. Several tens of thousands were raised for “Access Parrish,” which provides artmaking, movement workshops, and gallery tours for adults and children with special needs, before guests left their seats for a disco dance party in a nearby gallery.
Parrish Midsummer Dance Party
If Saturday night is for the grown-ups, Friday night welcomes the younger patrons of the Parrish Art Museum for a party more relaxed in its run-of-show—read: no seated dinner, just a dance party that starts as soon as you walk in. Masterminded by Laurence Milstein, who outdoes himself every year with this event, and his co-chair Kendall Werts, the Midsummer Dance Party kicked off with a spirited performance by two dancers from the Parsons Dance group. Next up, came a musical performance from Norwegian singer-songwriter Anna of the North, who brought the energy with a trio of her hits, including her bop “Sway.” With Espolon tequila and Campari cocktails flowing and a group that came ready to party, the night more than lived up to its name.
