Tour The Art Barge With Southampton Town

In March 1960, the late Victor D’Amico, the founding director of the education department at the Museum of Modern Art, got his hands on a retired Navy barge and, with the help of local baymen, had it beached at the head of Napeague Harbor. Since then, The Art Barge, as it is affectionately known, has provided East End residents with a creative outlet that offers a range of art classes each summer. Among the early instructors was D’Amico’s wife, Mabel.

On Saturday, August 17, the public is invited to join Southampton Town Councilman Tommy John Schiavoni and Southampton Arts and Culture Committee (SHACC) Chairwoman Hope Sandrow for a visit to The Art Barge and the nearby Mabel and Victor D’Amico Studio and Archive in Napeague, which together comprise The Victor D’Amico Institute of Art, as part of the town’s summer art tour on the road. Tour co-hosts are Southampton Town Councilman John Bouvier and Minerva Perez, director of OLA (Organización Latino-Americana).

Saturday’s tour is open to the public and free of charge, though seating is limited and reservations are required by emailing shacc@optimum.net. The tour leaves Southampton Town Hall, 116 Hampton Road, Southampton at 10 a.m. and returns at 2 p.m.“Having an open invitation with free transportation to wonderful spaces such as The Art Barge and the D’Amico house is an initiative highlighting a South Fork collaborative approach to sharing the artistic wealth of our region with all members of the community,” said Ms. Perez. “I’m proud to be a part of SHACC for this and other efforts that speak to the need to widen the participation of our East End community in the celebration and sustaining of these important spaces and institutions.”

“The East End has a rich and diverse culture that is strongly represented by many artists that contribute their talents and time; devoting their lives to the art of expression in so many forms,” added Mr. Bouvier. “We are fortunate to be able to support and provide both the means and opportunities that allow others to share these talents with residents and visitors alike. I applaud this effort to offer a broader access to the arts and widen the understanding and appreciation of the arts in our area.”

Southampton Arts and Culture Committee (SHACC). The group’s mission is to advise the Town of Southampton on promoting greater exposure and participation in arts and culture-related activities through creative collaboration. Founded in 2017, its goal is to inspire engagement with art in historical, cultural, and social contexts on the East End of Long Island.