As he was 93 and in failing health, Jack Lenor Larsen's death should not have come as a surprise, and yet somehow it did. His dynamism and creativity were constant and the animating force behind everything he did.
It is impossible to imagine that energy lying dormant, but it is also not necessary, because his legacy, LongHouse Reserve, lives on after him. The East Hampton garden and arts center he opened in 1992 was also his residence. He based the house there on a Japanese Shinto shrine, and it stands as a vessel of his spirit.
Never one to dwell on the past, Larsen worked with the LongHouse board and staff for the last several years to ensure that the institution would endure long after he was gone. "Now, it's up to us to make sure LongHouse continues to be open and to thrive," Matko Tomicic, its executive director, said during a recent phone conversation.
To that end, the winter benefit planned for Feb. 14, Love Song to Jack, will honor his life and accomplishments virtually that evening.
Longtime patrons and new fans who discovered the gardens this year as a respite from the Covid lockdowns will be pleased to know that the garden and sculpture program will continue to evolve each year, as it had under his direction.
The "really big change," as Larsen himself described it some years ago, will be the transformation of the house into a design museum. This was something never possible when he lived there. Mr. Tomicic said they expect it will take some time to make the adjustments to the residence necessary to meet current codes and accessibility requirements. "But one of our goals is to get the house open as soon as possible."
Envisioned as a place for changing exhibitions, the house also holds Larsen's vast collections of ceramics, textiles, furniture, and other elements of design. He possessed a significant collection of Wharton Esherick pieces, which include an arch, a rare painted bench, a music stand, and a Cubist-style mirror. He also had integrated into the decor an Anni Albers rug, an Edward Wormley sofa and table, and Dale Chihuly glass pieces. Then there are the 40 different sets of dinnerware, napery, and flatware. "I collect textiles, but they are hard to share, so I'm deep into pots," he said of the rest in 2016.
According to Mr. Tomicic, "From the get-go, he intended it to be a show-and-tell place and open to the public." Larsen began discussions with East Hampton Town when he lived next door at Round House, his first house and project in the 1980s. "At that time, though, he didn't think Town Hall understood what he had in mind." He set up the LongHouse Reserve organization on his own in 1991, a year before he received the certificate of occupancy for the house.
At times, the success became too much, with people barging in on Sundays, when the site was closed to allow him a day of privacy. Still, "he had lots of pleasure in knowing it was a benefit to people." That included the student programs, which brought 3,000 children to the site in a regular year.
The first school groups began visiting in 1996. Then came the Student Annual exhibition, which recognizes students' creativity in several categories, traditionally held on site in June. This year, the annual, which is open to students from kindergarten to 12th grade, will be mounted virtually, to address continuing safety concerns about large gatherings.
Information about criteria and how to enter is on the LongHouse website. Over the years, some teachers would bring their classes by for smaller tours and more direct engagement. "It gave him great joy to experience that," Mr. Tomicic recalled.
Last year was different, of course, with a delayed opening of June 17 and attendance capped at no more than 60 visitors on site at a time in hour-and-15-minute intervals. "We switched from a walk-in venue up in the woods to a timed-ticket venue. It was an incredible change." But there was a silver lining. By limiting admission, "we could make sure those on the grounds had a fantastic experience." There were no issues with overflow parking on the road or crowding. "Whoever came to visit felt like the grounds were just for them."
And despite those limits, LongHouse had its highest general attendance ever last year, at more than 12,000. The previous record was 15,000, but that included special events, which were almost entirely dormant last year.
Although the grounds are officially closed for the winter, they are accessible by appointment for visits or horticultural tours. The site will open with regular public hours on April 17. The timed tickets will continue this year, no matter what happens, with probably four time slots during the summer and three otherwise. Open days could be extended from Wednesday to Sunday as well.
Mr. Tomicic said it was too early to announce the new sculptures for this year, but some planned for last year were put off because of the shutdown, and those will be part of the new season, along with others that are still being determined.
The summer schedule is subdued, but includes the container competition Planters On + Off the Ground in June and a concert to be set around Larsen's Aug. 5 birthday. Plans for a summer benefit, traditionally held in July, "are just pencil on paper," he said. "It will really depend on Covid."
Financially, the nonprofit is doing as well as can be expected. "We have two budget columns, one column is worse, and one column is a little better," Mr. Tomicic said. "I think everyone else is doing the same thing these days. It's the only way you can plan."
LongHouse does not yet have an endowment. Those in charge anticipate that about $3 million to $4 million will come from the Larsen estate. "We hope to make that grow very fast, to fund-raise around it," Mr. Tomicic said. At the same time, they will need money to make the necessary modifications to the house, a potentially large capital expense, but also a good focus for fund-raising activities.
Larsen was known for always looking ahead to the next thing. He told his staff and board, "We don't want to stay reverent, we want to stay relevant," Mr. Tomicic recalled. "That will be our challenge."
Holger Winenga, LongHouse's horticulturalist, who also worked with Larsen for many years, has ideas for the gardens to keep them fresh, the way Larsen intended. The annual changes to the site's art will also continue. Most things that are expected and beloved will remain, such as the dunes, pond, lap pool, and the chess set.
Back in 2016, Larsen told The Star that they had not yet figured out "who is going to dream up the big ideas when I'm not around." When reminded of this, Mr. Tomicic said, "He always enjoyed giving us challenges, and on this one we are following his advice of being an open bowl."
Larsen was not too concerned, however: "I'll let the future take care of itself."
Love Song to Jack
Set for Feb. 14, LongHouse's winter benefit, Love Song to Jack, will feature love songs performed by JoyJanJones, Laurie Anderson, Royal Khaoz, Nico Muhly, G.E. Smith and Taylor Barton-Smith, and Rufus Wainwright.
Paul Goldberger, one of the event's honorees, will lead a tour through Larsen's house, and Shirin Neshat, the other honoree, will open her studio. The evening's "loving couple honorary chairs" -- Bill T. Jones and Bjorn Amelan, Eric Fishl and April Gornik, Rufus Wainwright and Jorn Weisbrodt -- will be featured in conversation.
Access to the event is through the purchase of "love boxes," which start at $50 and include various gifts, such as a Yoko Ono keepsake and links to Shirin Neshat's films at the entry level up to a champagne love box with Ruinart rosé champagne, candied rose petals, fine cheese, and heart-shaped macarons for $1,250. There are also saki and cocktail boxes and group boxes for up to seven people for $10,000. Orders must be placed through the LongHouse website by Feb. 8.
