‘Reclamation: Narratives of Space, History, and Culture’ at Southampton History Museum

Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc., and Southampton History Museum will present “Reclamation: Narratives of Space, History, and Culture,” an exhibition that opens with a reception on Friday, May 10, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and remains on view through September 28.

This powerful exhibition seeks to explore the multifaceted ways in which artists engage with the act of reclaiming — whether physical space, historical narratives, personal/family stories, or cultural identity and representation.

The exhibition takes inspiration from the complex history surrounding the Rogers Mansion, which is home to the Southampton History Museum. Among its former residents was Samuel L. Parrish (1849–1932), a wealthy attorney and influential member of Southampton’s Gilded Age society.

During the last decades of his life, Parrish helped build several long-standing local institutions, including Southampton Hospital, Parrish Art Museum and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Today, these institutions continue to promote Parrish’s wide-ranging civic values, from education to medicine to the arts and culture, as well as sports and recreation. Yet, Parrish’s achievements were not made without significant loss. Land development projects pursued by Parrish and others, especially in Shinnecock Hills and around Lake Agawam, negatively impacted the Shinnecock community as well as local residents of color who experienced dispossession, displacement, as well as the destruction of sacred and ancestral sites.

The exhibition features visual art by artists Dominick Cocozza, Chris Cook, Daesha Devón Harris, Dana Lynn Harper, Tammie Dupuis, Faith Evans, Angela Franklin, Sueey Gutierrez, Josie Licavoli, Henry Morales, Courtney Minor, Francena Ottley, Marisa de la Peña, Kimi Rodriguez de Picerno, Amelie Wang and Carolina Yáñez. These BIPOC artists live and work across the U.S., with several being alums of the Ma’s House residency program and previous exhibiting artists. A selection of works on view will be available for purchase to support each artist and Ma’s House.

“In a world where stories have been silenced, spaces overlooked, and cultures marginalized, this exhibition aims to provide a platform for artists to reclaim agency and amplify voices that deserve to be heard,” said the curator’s exhibition Jeremy Dennis, a Shinnecock artist who leads Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio Inc.

“How might we reclaim what has been lost or omitted in the stories we tell about Southampton’s past?” asks Sarah Kautz, executive director of Southampton History Museum. “This is a challenging but compelling question. We’re so grateful to partner with Jeremy Dennis in bringing the perspectives of 16 BIPOC artists together at Rogers Mansion — Mr. Parrish’s old summer house — to explore the possibilities of reclamation through creativity and learning.”

For more information about the show, visit southamptonhistory.org. Southampton History Museum is at 17 Meeting House Lane in Southampton.