The South Fork summer arts scene will look very different this year, even if rules for gatherings are relaxed here. Expect to see outdoor play readings, limits or appointments required for access to gardens and art venues, and the return of the drive-in movie, with anticipated reopenings beginning in July.
A random sampling of several organizations now affiliated through the Hamptons Arts Network over the past week revealed a cautiously upbeat mood, with a creative approach to rethinking how to complete their missions under current circumstances and in light of an undefined future. Many continue to expand their digital offerings, which have attracted regional and international audiences well exceeding the capacity of their physical spaces, as they plan for a revival of their onsite programs.
Anne Chaisson, the executive director of HamptonsFilm, the parent organization of the Hamptons International Film Festival, based in East Hampton, summed up the challenge: “Most things that happen in any arts organization are inside. So what does that look like? What does 75 percent of capacity look like? What does 50 percent look like? What does 30 percent look like?”
These aren’t random numbers. She and her colleagues are not only speaking to one another via Zoom, but also to other organizations within their particular fields. “We’re getting real-time information from great organizations all over the world.”
Staffs have had to weigh the costs of programs against the revenue that can be earned with reduced audiences. “You’re not going to put more than 30 percent in a movie theater with social distancing — any theater,” Ms. Chaisson said.
For HamptonsFilm and the new Sag Harbor Cinema, which had been set to open this month, it means finding sites to serve as impromptu drive-in theaters to screen films they would have shown inside in a pre or post-pandemic summer. Both organizations said it was too soon to discuss locations, which will be subject to whatever state restrictions remain in effect.
“The great thing about drive-ins is that you can leave your windows up and it comes through on your FM dial. There’s no human interaction,” Ms. Chaisson said. Admission for a carload can be bought online, someone guides you to a spot, and that’s it until the movie starts. “It’s the purest and easiest form of entertainment that can be done right now.”
Similarly, Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor and East Hampton’s Guild Hall are exploring how to take their performances outside. Guild Hall is considering readings that will take place in the property’s gardens, said Andrea Grover, its executive director. “We are all now futurists, envisioning what the world will look like 6 to 12 months from now, based on new information we’re getting every day.”
Bay Street is looking at outdoor play and musical readings from mid-July to August in lieu of its regular season of full productions. Tracy Mitchell, the theater’s executive director, said the question became “How do we pivot when we can’t gather, and we are a gathering place.”
“We are in discussions with the village on how we can do it safely, six feet apart,” she said. One site is Havens Beach, which she is exploring with some of the Sag Harbor Village Board members this week. “Some days I’m more optimistic than others. I think we all bounce back and forth.” If approved, the theater plans to use both equity and local actors, who would form the core of a repertory group for those six weeks.
Art exhibitions continue to be planned. Terrie Sultan, the director of the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, said their spring show, “Telling Stories: Reframing the Narratives,” a two-year project organized by David Pagel, the museum’s adjunct curator, will now live on its website only in new platforms the staff is developing. “It will be a mixture of video and still photography. It’s actually really exciting. We’ve never done anything like this before, because we’ve never had to.” Much of the web content will be influenced by the exhibition’s catalog, which was printed early and is already available. There will also be interviews with the artists conducted by Mr. Pagel. Ms. Sultan hopes to launch at least parts of the show on May 15 during one of the museum’s Friday Nights Live programs.
The Parrish will rely on its permanent collection to fill gaps in its schedule from postponing its later exhibitions this year until next year. One project will relate to Fairfield Porter and his wife, the poet Anne Porter, and the wider relationship between artists and writers in the region. Research conducted by professional visual arts organizations have looked at how many people are allowed in a gallery with six-foot distancing. “When the time comes, we’ll be ready to open with those facts in mind.”
Guild Hall’s members show will stay up during the summer and is also for sale online. The Clothesline Art Sale will probably also be online, with a possible portion of the pieces on view at the museum. An exhibition of Robert Longo’s work will open in August. The late-summer show opening is always tied to its gala, but this year will be different, Ms. Grover said. “If I had to get out my crystal ball, I would say that tented events for 350 people are not in the cards. . . . We’re trying to imagine different interactions and scenarios.” The spring shows that had been planned will be postponed to the same time period next year.
The Southampton Arts Center in Southampton Village hopes to open its summer exhibition, which is still being finalized, on July 10, said Tom Dunn, the executive director. Until then, the winter show “TAKEOVER! 2020” will remain in the space in case it can open earlier. The staff additionally plans to “animate and activate the grounds,” which are sizable. “We’re still planning outdoor films. If we have to limit capacity and keep people separate, we’ll do so.” He said concerts could also be held in a safe way there.
Alejandro Saralegui, the executive director of Madoo, the public garden and art center in Sagaponack, said the site will extend its hours, but will be accessible by appointment only. An exhibition of prints by Madoo’s founder, Robert Dash, will remain open through the summer. The prints are for sale online.
Mr. Saralegui’s series of “Madoo Moments,” videos with gardening lessons on Instagram, are very popular. With a furloughed staff, he has become a sole proprietor, doing most of the gardening, administrative, and development activities for the organization because of all the restrictions.
Similarly, the board and staff of the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton feel “the gardens will be important more than ever, once there is the possibility to enjoy basic freedoms of movement,” according to Matko Tomicic, its executive director. While the office staff works remotely, the gardeners are preparing for the moment the grounds reopen.
Those interviewed were unified in the belief that community needs for food, shelter, and medical care were more pressing than their own fund-raising needs, and they would pursue their regular development efforts once those other needs subsided. A subtle “donate” button on websites is one of the preferred ways of soliciting money right now.
In one case, the need came from within. “Our volunteers are 200 strong. We wanted to check in with everybody,” Ms. Mitchell said. Most are elderly. Theater staff called to make sure they had access to food and services they might need. Mr. Saralegui sent out an e-blast to Madoo subscribers alerting them to the different food pantries in the area. As a public service, the Southampton Arts Center sent out a notice about the businesses in Southampton Village that were still open.
Those efforts were not because they didn’t need money. Cutting programs can be a savings in one sense, but it doesn’t bring in revenue. With huge summer parties that can provide more than $1 million in one night likely out of the question, how these institutions raise money this year will be different and is still undefined. Some are talking about virtual events, others have much smaller gatherings in mind, some will offer a bit of both. Although they are in a region known for extravagance, they are used to working within tight budgets. Their thriftiness will be put to good use in the months ahead.
Bay Street closed earlier than the shutdown due to the illness of one of its employees. There have been furloughs, layoffs, and pay cuts. Those who applied for Paycheck Protection Program money had mostly good results. Guild Hall, Bay Street, SAC, and the Parrish received loans. LongHouse and HamptonsFilm hope to receive money in the second round. Some have applied for emergency relief through other government programs and private sources. LongHouse received a $50,000 challenge grant from the Willem de Kooning Foundation. By all accounts, boards and even small donors have been generous with their money, time, and resources.
The organizations are grateful to those donors, as well as to banks such as Bridgehampton National Bank, which helped guide them through the complicated government loan applications, and to one another. The network they formed only a few years ago they cannot imagine doing without in these circumstances.
“The HAN bond is so strong,” Ms. Grover said. “I am confident in the level of friendship and trust we have built up over three years. I can call them and ask the most proprietary of information about their institutions and there’s no threat. There’s no sense of competition. There’s always healthy competition, but we’re in this to help each other succeed.”