Winners of Guild Hall’s 83rd Artist Members Exhibition

On Friday, March 5, Guild Hall in East Hampton named the winners of its 83rd Artist Members Exhibition, with eight awards selected from 426 submissions. Each year, the exhibition attracts remarkable art world professionals as jurors who assign awards in a wide variety of categories. This year’s juror was Gagosian Curator and Director Antwaun Sargent, who spent the morning of March 5 in the Guild Hall galleries reviewing the works and making his selections.

“I really appreciated, as a juror, being able to come into this community of artists to see their work,” said Sargent. “I think open submission exhibitions like these are so crucial because it allows for a wider group of artists to participate in the art world. One of the things we have learned this past year is the importance of supporting our communities, and I think an exhibition like this is one way we can support artists.”

Sargent awarded the top honor to Linda Reville Eisenberg for her 2019 oil on canvas painting, “Lee.” Continuing the tradition, Eisenberg will be given a solo exhibition in the museum at a future date.

“It is so exciting to see the abundance of talent that comes out to celebrate at Guild Hall. We are thrilled to have works in every media represented and to have had our distinguished awards juror, Antwaun Sargent, select works for special recognition,” said Christina Strassfield, Guild Hall Museum Director and Chief Curator. “While installing the show, I was continually impressed by the quality, innovation and energy of the works, which is a testament to the vitality of the arts community on the East End.”

The Artist Members Exhibition galleries will be open to the public through April 10, Friday to Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Guild Hall is at 158 Main Street, East Hampton. For more information, visit guildhall.org.

And the winners of the 83rd Artist Members Exhibition are…

Top Honors: Linda Reville Eisenberg, “Lee,” 2019, oil on canvas
Best Abstract: Irwin Weinbaum, “Good Day Sunshine,” 2019, acrylic on canvas
Best Representational: Doug Reina, “Truck,” 2019, oil and wax on panel
Best Photograph: Catherine Berclaz, “Quintessence,” 2019
Best Work on Paper: Mahbobe Ghods, “Undo,” 2019, print on paper
Best Sculpture: Julian Mardoyan-Smyth, “Box #4,” 2015, cone 10 stoneware, raku fired
Best Mixed Media: Bastienne Schmidt, “Grids,” 2019, mixed media on canvas
Catherine and Theo Hios Best Landscape Award: Jane Kastan, “Amagansett Blues,” 2019, photograph

Honorable Mentions:
Gina D’Orazio, “Rogue,” 2019, low fire clay and glaze
Karen Kemp, “Two Boats, II,” 2019, oil on board
Jean Mahoney, “Morning Calm,” 2019, oil
Mike McLaughlin, “This Plaza,” 2019, pigment ink print on Epson Legacy Fibre
Min-Myn Schaffner, “Fire Place,” 2019, oil on linen
Shi, “Point of You,” 2019, acrylic on canvas
Stuart Silverman, “Torque 2,” 2019, alabaster
John A. Stefanik, “Twilight Bass Fishing, East Hampton,” 2019, black and white photograph

The first Artist Members Exhibition took place in 1938, shortly after Guild Hall’s inception in 1931. The exhibition is the oldest non-juried show on Long Island and one of the few non-juried exhibitions still running. Deeply rooted in the history of the East End artist colony, early participants included Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Alfonso Ossorio, Perle Fine, Bill King, James Brooks, Charlotte Park, John Little and many more, showing their support of Guild Hall and its role as their community Museum, Theater, and Education Center.

A new tradition of creating an ecommerce website in conjunction with the exhibition continues this year with works available for purchase at shop.guildhall.org with prices ranging from $50 to $150,000, offering something for every collector, from beginners to experienced.

Gallery tours of the exhibition will be offered in person and virtually with Executive Director Andrea Grover, Museum Director/Chief Curator Christina Mossaides Strassfield, and Curatorial Assistant Casey Dalene, as well as digital 360-degree self-guided tour for those who are unable to visit in person. In-person tours are limited capacity and reservations are required.

Gallery Tours

Executive Director's Choice with Andrea Grover
Friday, March 12, at noon

Curatorial Assistant's Choice with Casey Dalene
Friday, March 19, at noon

Meet the Winners

Saturday, March 20, at 2 p.m.

Museum Director's Choice with Christina Mossaides Strassfield 
Friday, March 26, at noon

This fall, from October 30, 2021, through January 2, 2022, Guild Hall will present the works of 2018 Top Honor winner Jeff Muhs.

For more information on viewing the exhibition visit guildhall.org.