A "Rebirth" for RJD Gallery in Bridgehampton

[caption id="attachment_62102" align="alignnone" width="800"] Richard J. Demato at his new gallery space in Bridgehampton with gallery director Eve Gianni Corio. Christine Sampson photo[/caption]

By Christine Sampson

In the months since the December 16 fire ravaged not just the Sag Harbor Cinema but also the adjacent RJD Gallery, the Meridian building and several apartments and other businesses, gallery owner Richard J. Demato did not pause for a second when it came to rebuilding.

He immediately got on the phone with insurance adjustors, artists and landlords with potential new spaces to get his gallery back up-and-running as soon as possible, often spending more than ten hours per day on the phone and otherwise getting back on his feet.

The end result: While some businesses are still figuring out how to reopen and others remain closed without a concrete plan — at least one that’s been publicly announced — to move forward, Mr. Demato will open the doors to his brand-new gallery on Saturday.

The difference, though, is his gallery is no longer in Sag Harbor. RJD Gallery is now located at 2385 Main Street in Bridgehampton, next to Candy Kitchen.

“It is a rebirth and a revival,” Mr. Demato said in an interview in his new gallery, which is three times the size of the previous space and features taller, 25-foot ceilings and more windows for natural light. “We had to make a decision. Do we stop or do we go? We made that decision the same day [of the fire]. We went and sought new spaces; we worked out of my home for a while; we aggressively went out and went after new art. We had to.”

[caption id="attachment_62100" align="alignnone" width="800"] "The Feast" by Andrea Kowch, 60 x 84, acrylic on canvas will be on display during the RJD Gallery's opening show, "Urban Revival."[/caption]

While Sag Harbor was his first choice, Mr. Demato said there simply weren’t any suitable spaces available. He considered East Hampton, too, but said commercial rents were three times as high as Sag Harbor. When he found the space in Bridgehampton, he said he immediately saw the potential. Sure, it needed work: Fresh paint and new flooring were in order, a few non-load-bearing walls had to be moved, and new lighting fixtures were a must. It was an investment he was willing to make, even in light of the $1.4 million loss his gallery suffered — including 83 paintings — in the fire.

But with the glut of renovations came an abundance of opportunity. Mr. Demato said not only would the larger, brighter space allow him to show more art on the walls — including pieces that are quite a bit larger in size — but it will also allow him to show sculpture for the first time.

[caption id="attachment_62101" align="alignleft" width="366"] "Locomotive of Kenyon" by Drew Ernst, 96 x 96, oil on canvas.[/caption]

“The space is much more serene because it’s much larger. It's nice and clean and bright,” he said. “We always loved sculpture, but never had the room. Also, in most of the [galleries] out here, you can't step back from the piece enough. It gives it a better perspective and you feel more comfortable making the purchase because you're more aware of the art rather than the small space. Several people have told me there's more of a museum feeling here.”

Gallery director Eve Gianni Corio, with whom Mr. Demato has been working for the last seven years, said she likes the space because people will be able to wander through it and “discover the pieces.”

“It also allows people to have a little more privacy when they're discussing art, which they want, to be honest,” she said.

Ms. Gianni Corio called the new space “more of a reflection of Richard's vision. The old space was someplace we went into. This we built.”

RJD Gallery’s first exhibit in the new space is titled “Urban Revival” and features the work of several prominent African American artists. Mr. Demato said it’s a celebration of Black History Month, albeit somewhat late, because the gallery wasn't ready to open in February. Works from the Margaret Bowland collection and pieces by Alfred Conteh, Phillip Thomas, Jules Arthur and others “all come together from across urban lands to create thought-provoking expressions in a contemporary vision of revival, from the African American experience to narrative moments of introspection,” according to the gallery. The opening reception is Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the gallery. The show was even featured in the February issue of the magazine American Art Collector, even though the gallery had not yet reopened.

“We're looking forward to a great season. Onwards and upwards. It's the only way to go,” Ms. Gianni Corio said.

[caption id="attachment_62103" align="alignright" width="345"] "Eccebroker" by Salvatore Alessi, 78.75 x 71, oil on canvas.[/caption]

They are planning to engage other galleries and businesses in Bridgehampton in an “art walk” type event later in the year to promote Bridgehampton’s art and design community.

After “Urban Revival,” a juried art show featuring Hamptons artists, starting April 22, “In the Mix,” will raise money and awareness for The Retreat domestic violence shelter. It’s one of several charitable causes Mr. Demato supports. In fact, when he first opened the gallery in Sag Harbor in 2009, he did so to cultivate donors for The Retreat, the Southampton Town Animal Shelter and Fountain House, which supports people with mental illnesses.

“I love what I do. I'm very, very lucky to have found something after I stopped working in 2002 in the textile and apparel business,” he said, noting many of his clients have gotten on board as donors for the causes he supports. “It's a huge emotional reward…It's not just a gallery, it's also a community.”