Southampton Artists Association Shares Rich History

In 2001, Southampton artist James B. Witker II was searching for a home—not for himself, literally, but for his body of work.

Thirteen years earlier, so was Hank Schneider. Discouraged by what he found to be an impenetrable East End art scene, he came up with a solution: to set up shop in his own backyard on Old Town Road for a one-time exhibition. And the turnout was huge, according to his sister, Alice.

It was a breakthrough.

Mr. Schneider, now deceased, never knew his impromptu display of rebellion planted the seeds for what would eventually become the Southampton Artists Association, a membership of 140 local painters, photographers, sculptors, multimedia artists and their supporters working toward a common goal: to give both burgeoning and established creative minds a place to shine.

That includes Mr. Witker, who happened across a sign for the organization while visiting the Southampton Cultural Center for a Korean War veterans meeting 14 years ago.

“I said, ‘Wow, I think those are the folks I’m looking for,’” he recalled on Monday during an interview at the Southampton Cultural Center. “Nobody had told me about it. There was a phone number, I called it and the rest is history.”

Photographers Danielle Leef and Dave Johns nodded in agreement, as their stories echo his, as does that of Dom Lamontanaro, the nonprofit’s current president. Up until three years ago, when he took the helm, the group’s history has been admittedly choppy, he said. But participation is up and it has come a long way, with four member exhibitions on the books—the next one, a Labor Day show, opening Saturday—and a partnership with the Levitas Center for the Arts at the Southampton Cultural Center, as well as additional events and opportunities to show throughout the year.

“Artists here rub off on each other,” Mr. Witker said. “There’s mutual inspiration, and people get ideas. They say getting a bunch of artists to do anything is like herding cats. It’s probably true, but there’s something about bringing them together in a group like this. It’s a community.”

“Our receptions are always hot times,” Mr. Lamontanaro added.

Becoming a member is simple, Ms. Leef explained. Interested artists simply fill out the application, which can be found online, submit it with a membership fee, and they’re in—as long as they’re age 18 and older. There is no real screening process or judging, she said.

“It’s very had to break into the art world, and that’s what’s so great about the organization,” Mr. Johns said. “I started doing photography when I was a kid, at, like, 10 years old. I managed to build a darkroom in every house and apartment that we lived in, whether I didn’t have headroom or whatever. But the reluctance to put yourself out there, to show your work, to be critiqued by other artists, if you have that shyness, here’s this venue and these people you can interact with.”

“For an organization that accepts anybody, you’d be amazed by the quality of the art,” Mr. Witker added. “It really holds its own with any exhibit you can see out here. Alice, Hank and their friends were so smart to start this.”

Ms. Schneider smiled at the compliment. “Hank would probably be astounded by the gallery,” she said. “I have to say, quite frankly, he was very critical of the painting—any painting. He would say to me, on the side, what he thought. He might not say anything at the show, but he’d say something on the way out.”

“As much as we help each other, I think we all do that. We have fun,” Mr. Lamontanaro laughed. “All I want for us is to keep going as long as we can. And to go out, like Hank and the rest of the founders, with a paintbrush in my hand.”

The Southampton Artists Association’s Labor Day Show will open with a reception on Saturday, September 5, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Levitas Center for the Arts at the Southampton Cultural Center. The exhibition will remain on view through Sunday, September 13. For more information, visit southamptonartists.org.