Guild Hall's ‘GATHER’ Receives A State Award Of Merit

Guild Hall in East Hampton has announced that its ongoing collaboration with Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, “GATHER: Conversations Led by Black & Indigenous Changemakers,” was chosen by the Museum Association of New York’s (MANY) review committee as the recipient of the 2022 Engaging Communities Award of Merit. The committee was impressed by the project’s strength in engaging the local community and forging long-standing relationships, and they further stated that it is a great project and a model for the field.

“GATHER” is a celebration of the East End’s diversity, a recognition of fault and colonization, and, most importantly, an opportunity to build and implement new understandings. Devised specifically for community leaders, service workers, teachers and developers, this series platforms the voices and experiences of various BIPOC scholars, artists, and leaders, providing both lessons on our past histories, and strategies and examples of how to progress forward together.

In 2021, Jeremy Dennis, photographer and lead artist of Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, and Anthony Madonna, Guild Hall’s Patti Kenner Senior Associate for Learning and Public Engagement, led dynamic events with a rotating panel of historians, artists and cultural leaders of the Hamptons, including Roddy Smith, Andrina Wekontash Smith, Tecumseh Ceaser, Chief Harry Wallace, Tela Troge, Courtney Leonard, Skip Finley, Dr. Georgette Grier-Key, David Rattray and Donnamarie Barnes.

“It has been an incredible opportunity to work alongside Jeremy Dennis and Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio on ‘GATHER.’ From in-school workshops to communal dinners to paddle-tours, this program has both provoked the thinking of various community members — age, race, and socio-economic status — and has built a stronger relationship between Guild Hall and the Shinnecock Nation” said Madonna. “We are so appreciative of this recognition from MANY and look forward to bringing ‘GATHER’ back in Fall 2022.”

The MANY award specifically acknowledged four programs that took place in summer 2021, where “GATHER” was programmed in tandem with the Guild Hall exhibition, “Alexis Rockman: Shipwrecks,” platforming BIPOC histories, traditions, and lived-experiences with our waterways and systems. Proceeds from this series aided the education initiatives at Guild Hall, the development of Ma’s House and the institutions and artists involved. A previous iteration of “GATHER” was offered as a virtual lecture series in tandem with the “2021 Student Art Festival: Past-Present-Future.”

In addition, Guild Hall has since been presented with a special NYSCA grant in support of Jeremy Dennis and Anthony Madonna to attend the 2022 MANY conference. When informed of the MANY honor, NYSCA shared that they were impressed with the award, and Guild Hall’s commitment to and partnership with Ma’s House.

“It has been an honor to work with Guild Hall to elevate the voices and creativity of Long Island’s BIPOC artists,” said Dennis. “As the lead artist of Ma’s House, an up-and-coming communal art space, it is incredible to feel embraced and be offered this collaboration.”

“GATHER: Conversations led by Black & Indigenous Changemakers” will be awarded the Engaging Communities Award of Merit as part of the Museum Association of New York’s 2022 conference “Envisioning Our Museums for the Seventh Generation.” The award ceremony will take place on Monday, April 11, at noon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Corning, New York. For further information on the conference, visit nysmuseums.org/annualconference.