LongHouse Reserve recently invited friends for the privilege of a private tour of Shirin Neshat’s Brooklyn home and studio. “One of the highlights of our season is Shirin coming to LongHouse in August,” conveyed LongHouse Director, Carrie Reborra Barratt. “The nature of her work, the strength, the beauty of it, is just profound. It has never been more meaningful than these times when she gives voice to so many women.”
Held in honor of the upcoming exhibition at LongHouse, Confined Artists – Free Spirits: Portraits & Interviews from Lockdown by Maryam Eisler, this ten-day exhibition (August 22 – September 1) features portraits and video stories of influential artists during COVID. Two panel discussions invite featured artists to speak at LongHouse; Shirin and Mickalene Thomas, moderated by Max Blagg, open the exhibition on August 22nd. Artists Eric Fischl, Joel Mesler, Sheree Hovsepian, and gallery owner Harper Levine, will join a panel moderated by Eisler on August 28th. The exhibition is also the subject of Eisler’s book, of the same title.
Shirin warmly welcomed guests in her living room, which opened to a beautiful garden propagated by her partner, Shoja Azari. Later, she shared projected examples of her work, as well as an exclusive look at her forthcoming short film. “I put this together last night just for all of you,” said Shirin. “It was shot right here in Bushwick, a very diverse neighborhood, and I wanted to use my experience as an immigrant to portray how welcoming these places can be.” Guests included Janice Huminska and Max Blagg, Suzanne Cochran, Renee Cox, Lesley-Anne Gliedman, Nejma Khanum (Mrs. Peter Beard), Tinu Naija, and Pamela Willoughby.
The following evening, back in East Hampton at LongHouse Reserve, Italian luxury furniture designer, Paola Lenti, debuted an exhibit of over 100 pieces — sofas, poufs, armchairs, tables, and parasol umbrellas — across the garden.
Paola’s sister, Anna Lenti, flew in from Italy for the opening party. “I really appreciated the atmosphere of the event, enjoyable and relaxing. The unique environment of LongHouse, with its harmonious blend of natural beauty and artistic expressions, provided the perfect scenery for showcasing our designs. I praise the vision of LongHouse’s founder, Jack Lenor Larsen. He succeeded in creating a destination where art is accessible to everybody, while establishing a positive dialogue with nature.”
Paola Lenti’s upscale furnishings feature weather-resistant fabrics made with 100% recyclable eco-friendly yarns and fibers; the result of thirty years of research and experimentation. The wood, used for the structures of chairs, sofas, and accessories, comes from forests managed in a sustainable manner; the coatings of each product, as well as the carpets, are free of toxic substances. While durable and sustainable, the designs are also chic and visually striking. Paola Lenti is a master colorist. For this garden, she chose an organic, rich color palette for the textiles, mixed with natural woods. Much of this collection sits low to the ground, with oversized cushioning, creating a warm, inviting, casual environment.
It is from nature that Paola Lenti draws inspiration for creating her design elements, fabrics and materials, so she believes their furnishings will find their finest expression in the gardens at LongHouse; a place where art is immersed in nature. Paola knew Jack Lenor Larsen, and felt “a sincere understanding immediately formed between us, based on a common vision of nature, its importance for humans, the benefit derived from enjoying art in all its expressions, and the role of craftsmanship as a privileged means to give soul to things.”
Guests included Candace Bushnell, Darren Star, Pamela Fiori, Sherri Donghia, as well as Lenti’s exclusive Hamptons distributor West Chin (West | Out East), and LongHouse President Nina Gillman and Director Carrie Rebora Barratt.
Now through September 2nd, visitors can enjoy the curated arrangements as they’re displayed throughout 16 acres of gardens; surrounded by sculptures from Daniel Arsham, Yoko Ono, Buckminster Fuller, Sol LeWitt, Ai Weiwei, and more.
Heading back to Manhattan the next week, LongHouse Reserve kicked off their annual Summer Benefit with a cocktail party, hosted by new board member Greg McCarthy, and his partner Peter Bickford, at their 5th Avenue residence overlooking Central Park.
“We are one month away from our benefit,” said LongHouse Director Carrie Rebora Barratt, “We are clearly going to sell out, having raised half a million dollars before the first invitations have gone out. We’re honoring two wonderful artists, Tony Bechara and Kenny Scharf. Plus, we have a fantastic art auction.”
“People didn’t understand the richness of what you could do on a weekend in East Hampton at LongHouse. You could listen to Jonathan Adler talk about pottery, you could go see Paola Lenti furniture, paint with expert artists, or listen to world renowned pianist, Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner,” elaborated Carrie. “It’s the idea of bringing something new to discover, and our programming is so rich.”
Attending the cocktails were LongHouse benefit Co-Chairs Anne Erni and Nina Gillman, and board members Mary Gail Doerheofer, Michael Jones and Pamela Willoughby. Other guests included Gailly and John Beinecke, Lee Fryd, Michele Gerber Klein, Lisson Gallery Associate Grace Leonhardt, author Matilda McQuaid, and many of the aforementioned artists.
LongHouse’s Summer Benefit, Imagination, Saturday July 20th, encourages guests to dress in vibrant colors, with whimsical accessories and unconventional pairings. Philanthropist Estrellita Brodsky and artist Randy Polumbo will present awards to the honorees. Queer artist Machine Dazzle will emcee.
Artists included in the auction are Annie Albers, Bjorn Amelan, Laurie Anderson, Alice Aycock, Maria Bacardi, Tony Bechara, Lynda Benglis, Max Blagg, Scott Bluedorn, Gustavo Bonavardi, Francisco Daniel Cabrera, Philippe Cheng, Don Christensen, Mr. Star City, Liz Collins, Peter Dayton, Dawn DeDeaux, Michael de Feo, Eric Dever, Maryam Eisler, Eric Fischl, Kurt Giehl, Nina Gillman, Burt Glinn, John Haubrich, Mary Heilmann, Alice Hope, Fitzhugh Karol, Mel Kendrick, Lana Kova, Laurie Lambrecht, Martine Langatta, Robert Longo, Christa Maiwald, Mark Mennin, Steve Miller, Oscar Molina, Jeff Muhs, Pat Place, Randy Polumbo, Dalton Portella, Marko Remec, Marcia Resnick, Rene Ricard, Brent Richardson, Ugo Rondinone, Toni Ross, Martha Russo, Kenny Schachter, Kenny Scharf, Bastienne Schmidt, Cindy Sherman, Kiki Smith, Agathe Snow, Clintel Steed, Suzannah Wainhouse, Jeff Lion Weinstock, Robert Wilson, Mark Wilson, and Almond Zigmund.
LongHouse Reserve is a 16-acre integrated environment created by artists, collector, and world renowned textile designer and weaver Jack Lenor Larsen (1927 – 2020) with a mission to inspire living with art in all forms. The sculpture garden, featuring more than 60 outdoor works — including permanent collection works by Buckminster Fuller, Yoko Ono, Toshiko Takaezu, and Willem de Kooning, and seasonal loans from artists such as Daniel Arsham, Maren Hassinger, Isamu Noguchi, and Ai Wei Wei — encourages exploration and contemplation from new and repeat visitors alike.
For tickets to the 2024 LongHouse Summer Benefit, click here.
