Building on the legacy of artists helping artists on the East End, the Hamptons Arts Network (HAN), in partnership with New York Foundation for the Arts, has awarded $168,000 in unrestricted $2,000 grants to 84 artists, musicians, writers, and performers living and working in the region, who were adversely affected by COVID-19.
The Hamptons Arts Network Artist Relief Fund was galvanized by artists Clifford Ross and Eric Fischl, who took the lead role in fundraising and donated matching gifts to jumpstart the initiative. Contributors to the fund included many other renowned artists, arts professionals, and art galleries, as well as the foundations of late artists who lived in the region, including the Willem de Kooning Foundation, the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, and the Dedalus Foundation (Robert Motherwell).
Formed in 2016, the Hamptons Arts Network is a consortium of 19 arts and cultural nonprofits located on the East End — including art museums, sculpture gardens, historical societies, houses, and studios, artist residencies, performing arts and film organizations — dedicated to fostering the artistic community and advancing the creative economy of the region. Its goal is to promote collaboration, partnerships, and shared programming among its members.
Additionally, HAN advocates for the arts in the area of economic development, tourism, and education. Members are: Bay Street Theater, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Dia: Dan Flavin Art Institute, East Hampton Historical Society, Eastville Community Historical Society, Guild Hall, HamptonsFilm, Hamptons Doc Fest, LongHouse Reserve, Madoo Conservancy, Parrish Art Museum, Pollock-Krasner House & Study Center, Sag Harbor Cinema Arts Center, Shinnecock Nation Cultural Center & Museum, Southampton African American Museum, Southampton Arts Center, Southampton Cultural Center, Southampton Historical Museum, and The Watermill Center.
To learn more about the Hamptons Arts Network, visit hamptonsartsnetwork.org.
Staff Writer on Sep 14, 2020