The Montauk Art Show on the village green is a cornerstone event of the vibrant art scene on the East End. The Montauk Artists’ Association was founded as the Montauk Artists in 1995 by Percy Heath, an artist, jazz musician, and avid fisherman who brought together local artists to share and showcase their work. What started as a group of artists meeting and having exhibits in members’ homes expanded to a non-profit organization dedicated to “bringing awareness and education of the arts to the adults and children of the East End, as well as creating a place for artists to study and show their work.”
The outdoor exhibit has been a summer tradition of the Montauk Artists’ Association for almost 30 years. A different group of jurors is selected each year. They review artwork from a pool of applicants from across the globe and in many cases from Montauk and the East End. The chosen artists present a broad range of work, from paintings and works on paper, to photography, crafts, and jewelry.
In an oral history interview, Rosa Hanna Scott, one of the founding members, and now board president, recalls setting up tents with Percy on the green during the art show’s nascent years. The association tent didn’t have enough work. “I said I have some work at home. [Percy] said go get it. East Hampton back to Montauk. But I can remember him telling me to go get it. And I did. I got a few more pieces and brought them back.” Decades later, Rosa’s artwork, both photography and acrylic painting ranging from abstract to portraiture, graces the walls of the association’s community art center.
Before the group settled into their current headquarters at the Depot Gallery, they showed at members’ homes, Gurney’s Inn, the Montauk Library, Ruschmeyer’s, and the yacht club. In 1998, the group acquired the Montauk train station building from the Long Island Railroad. The Depot Gallery is home to rotating art exhibitions and workshops from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day. By securing the building and continuing the shows on the green, the association ensures that local artists have a local venue where they can show their work.
This year the art show will be held from August 16 to August 18. More than 70 artists will showcase their works at this family-friendly event. Admission is free and the show will be held rain or shine. The Ukeladies, Ms. Lori Hubbard, and Faith Mulaly will perform on Friday.
In 2023, the association donated a collection of organizational papers to the Montauk Library Archives. The records include event books, correspondence, bylaws, meeting minutes, newsletters, newspaper clippings, advertising materials, guest books, and commemorative journals dating from 1995 to 2023. The materials relate to the association’s activities, exhibits, educational programs, scholarship funds, and outdoor art fairs. New items will be added annually and a corresponding photograph collection is forthcoming.
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