The Art Scene 11.10.11

Chase and Ebert Show

    The Halsey Mckay Gallery in East Hampton will show an installation of new work by Louisa Chase and Sally Egbert beginning Saturday. According to the gallery, the exhibit of paintings and works on paper will display “lyrical, bold, and intuitive works that operate more as natural and corporeal extrapolations rather than traditional abstract expressions.”

    Ms. Chase pairs cool geometry with more expressive and gestural marks in a palette that is saturated but tranquil. She has a distinguished exhibition history and an academic background that includes the Venice Biennale and an M.F.A. from Yale University.

    Ms. Egbert draws her inspiration from the regional landscape and environs, including the fabled East End light. Her forms are suggestive but not definitive and often expressed in rich, high-toned color. She has received several grants and awards for her work and has exhibited widely.

    The show will open with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and remain on view through Jan. 7.

Albertini at Ashawagh

    Those who may have missed Sydney Albertini’s midweek summer show at Ashawagh Hall in Springs will have a second chance to see her work this weekend in “In, Between, and Around,” on view from Saturday to Monday.

    The exhibit will include an installation by Robert Leibel in the small room. He interprets the show’s title as referring to space and light and what we think we see.

    Ms. Albertini said she has been inspired to think about the meaning of art and preconceived notions of value and use. She will show quilts made from hand-painted fabric and small landscape paintings done on her iPad.

    There will be a reception Saturday evening from 5 to 7.

“The Joys of Toys”

    This weekend, the Southampton Historical Museum will open a show designed to inspire the imaginations of young and old. “The Joys of Toys” will include playthings from the late-19th century to the early-20th century in tin, cast iron, and wood, along with dollhouses, penny banks, soldiers, and versions of Noah’s ark with all the animal accessories.

    The show will open on Saturday and be on view through Dec. 31 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Madness and Video

    The Watermill Center will welcome guests to a by-reservation but free pair of open rehearsals by current artists in its residency program on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

    The first of two works in progress is a video performance by Abbas Akhavan called “Phantom Head,” which is about madness. Mr. Akhavan was born in Tehran, Iran, and lives in Toronto. His work includes drawing, installation, and radically modified domestic objects.

    Next, Allie Avital Tsypin and Gabrielle Herbst will perform a live multimedia piece for voice and chamber ensemble about hot and cold places in nature and fantasy. It also addresses pop culture and female seduction. Reservations can be requested at [email protected]. The center is on Water Mill Towd Road.

Papermaking Workshop

    In conjunction with the opening of a show of assemblages by Drew Shiflett, Guild Hall in East Hampton is offering a very much hands-on papermaking class at noon Saturday with staff from Dieu Donné papermakers of New York City.

    A quick lecture starts the program, after which participants will be instructed on how to “pull” and “couch” a sheet of paper. A variety of colored linen pulps will be provided. Those attending have been advised to wear clothing and footwear — boots, preferably — that can get wet.

    The cost is $25, $20 for Guild Hall members.

Groot at John Jermain

    Barbara Groot, a painter who lives in East Hampton, will show a number of her “Hamptons Wetlands” series this month at the John Jermain Memorial Library in its temporary location at 34 West Water Street in Sag Harbor. An afternoon opening will be on Saturday from 3 to 5. Ms. Groot has a varied background that includes fashion and textile design. She now paints full time.

    The library has moved to West Water Street while extensive renovations are under way at its Main Street building. It is open Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. On Friday and Saturday it is open until 5 p.m., and on Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Pierre’s Shows Isham

    Sheila Isham’s new series, “Comic Myth,” is on view at Pierre’s restaurant in Bridgehampton through the end of the month. The series consists of collages on Japanese rice paper and blends the sensual and the comic. The imagery comes from shapes cut from marbleized paper left open for viewers to apply their own interpretations and meanings.