American History in Focus

Tripoli Gallery in Wainscott opens “American History,” a group exhibition running July 14 to August 14. The show includes work by Alice Aycock, Mary Carlson, Sally Egbert, Connie Fox, April Gornik, Mary Heilmann, Esther Ruiz, Sally Saul and Pat Steir, and opens with a reception on Friday, July 14, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The world is wrought in history — forward, backward, present. It seeps from every crevice, every story passed down from one generation to the next, wars that have come and gone, blemishes that stain or blot collective memories and animals that are now extinct.

But history is more than what is written in a textbook.

“American History” as an exhibition that seeks to look at the concept of history as less static than words on a page or accounts deemed important by someone else. The show shines a light on a group of selected artists who have already carved a notch in the tree of life with their respective practices over many years. Each one is already a piece of American history.

Since founding his gallery in 2009, Tripoli Patterson has watched and supported local artists who have indelibly left a mark on the art world. After a prompt by artist Mary Heilmann, the gallery decided to delve into an exhibition that reexamines the narrative of the East End art community which plays such a large role in art history. The strength of the action is that these notations of time are meant to be remembered.

“The world is in such an especially crazy, history-making time,” says artist Sally Egbert. “This exhibit shines a strong and compassionate light on the state of things, opening the door for change and a beautiful, powerful way to view the world.”

Tripoli Gallery is at 26 Ardsley Road in Wainscott. Visit tripoligallery.com for details.