Artists Alliance To Build Walls — These To Hold Our Hopes and Dreams

The Artists Alliance of East Hampton (AAEH) will celebrate the start of its 35^th year with a new exhibit titled “Walls of Dreams” at Ashawagh Hall in Springs this weekend. The three-day exhibit, which opens with a reception on Saturday, January 19, from 5 to 7 p.m., coincides with the celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. so the group selected a theme that will honor its community-focused mission.

“We’re having two walls made and we have cards people can write their dreams on, their personal dreams or political dreams, but it’s not really a political thing,” AAEH president Mary Milne said. “It’s for people to get good feelings out.”

Following the Saturday evening reception, the group will gather again on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for a family-friendly brunch of bagels and hot chocolate. In a release the group said it hopes the experience will “provide us all with a means to connect and honor Dr. King’s legacy and our own commitment to contribute to the community by supporting our artists and the arts in general.”

Milne said AAEH shows will generally feature work from as many as 80 artists, though the group is 160 members strong, and growing.

[caption id="attachment_88552" align="alignnone" width="640"] Work by Sag Harbor artists Kenna Mackay.[/caption]

“Our membership is open to anyone who would like to join us,” she said. “We’re always looking to get new blood, and it’s all types of artists — it’s painters, sculptors, photographers, glass artists, some digital works and we welcome others to join the alliance.”

AAEH was formed in 1984 as the Jimmy Ernst Artists Alliance as a way to carry on the acclaimed abstract painter’s vision of community support for the arts. For information on this weekend’s show, or to become a member, visit aaeh.org

[caption id="attachment_88553" align="alignnone" width="763"] Work by Lieve Thiers[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_88551" align="alignnone" width="1000"] A watercolor from Gene Samuelson.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_88549" align="alignnone" width="1000"] "Beach Bikes" by Frank Sofo.[/caption]