Connections: An Arts Hub

You might remember a radical reimagining of East Hampton Village that was put forward last year by a group of architects lead by Maziar Behrooz. It was called “Restoring Forward: A Vision for East Hampton Village,” and among the other revitalization ideas it proposed — which included adding walking and biking paths and greenways, and creating park space where there is now parking space in the Reutershan lot — was the creation of a cultural zone at the west end of Newtown Lane.

It occurs to me that the village already has a cultural zone — and that I live in it.

My house is behind the East Hampton Library, which is a stone’s throw from my workplace here at the Star office, which is next door to Clinton Academy (home to many fascinating exhibitions and history talks) and directly opposite Guild Hall; a few paces from Guild Hall are two museums, the growing Mulford Farm grounds and Home, Sweet Home. Soon, there will be another museum here in this hub: The old cottage behind the South End Burying Ground will open to the public as the Gardiner Mill Cottage Gallery, housing landscape paintings depicting East Hampton in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The resplendently restored Thomas Moran Studio is within walking distance, as well.

Living here in the heart of the village is a blessing. For starters, it’s handy to be able to pop home from work on the flimsiest of excuses (a need for a cookie or to pat the dog) and in any weather. And being so close to these worthy institutions is good for the mind as well as the body. I find myself trotting across Main Street to go to shows at Guild Hill constantly, from the Metropolitan Opera live broadcasts to documentary screenings during the Hamptons International Film Festival. 

People often complain that there is not enough to do here in the off-season, but I cannot agree. If anything, we have an overabundance of museum buildings sitting ready to be put to good use for the enjoyment of the public. Two of our cornerstone institutions, the East Hampton Historical Society and the East Hampton Library, do great work when they run slates of events for families at Clinton Academy and in the various meeting rooms at the library, whether it’s a talk about the “Spanish flu” epidemic of 1918 or a crafting class for toddlers. 

Here’s hoping that the Moran house and the Gardiner gallery — not to mention the Hedges barn that is soon to be raised on the grounds of Mulford Farm — will throw their doors open with frequency, too, for residents of all ages to learn and have fun, even when the weather turns to snow.