Image: Exhibit of John Little Works in the Studio Duck Creek Farm, 2021, Photo by Jess Frost, Courtesy Arts Center at Duck Creek Farm
In 2022 Historic Artists' Homes and Studios launched a new Affiliate category of membership. This new category complements the longstanding Membership category which currently comprises 55 sites throughout 25 states in the nation; all preserved homes and studios of American artists and provide a site-specific depiction of art history. The addition of this new category represents a commitment by the program and the National Trust, to create new pathways for organizations and individuals stewarding preserved artist properties, that may not meet the criteria under existing membership, to engage in meaningful dialogue with their professional peers. This was the first time in its more than twenty-year history that the program has created a new sphere for acceptance into its network of sites.
Earllier this year, HAHS accepted its first class of Affiliate Members:
Jonathan Fisher House, Blue Hill, ME | The house designed and built by artist, scientist, and writer Jonathan Fisher (1768-1847) highlights the mastery achieved by this largely self-taught artist, during the country’s Federal era, from the late 18th to mid-19th century. Fisher explored these creative pursuits in advance of any well- established artistic tradition in this country. Visitors to the site can witness the range of his creative talents from furniture to paintings to engravings and beyond.
Elaine de Kooning House, East Hampton, NY | The former home and studio of artist Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989), wife of artist Willem de Kooning, which now operates primarily as an artists’ residency for a wide selection of some of today’s most innovative artists. De Kooning purchased the traditional saltbox, later adding a studio where she would complete her last important works. After her death, the space was occupied by sculptor John Chamberlain, followed by the painter Richmond Burton. Today the site also hosts exhibitions, and programming, with tours available by appointment.
LongHouse Reserve, East Hampton, NY | This 16-acre integrated environment was created by author, collector and world-renowned textile designer and weaver Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020) to inspire living with art in all forms. The gardens at LongHouse have long been open for public 2 enjoyment, featuring more than 60 outdoor sculptural works, and now, following Larsen’s passing, stewards of the site are planning for the next chapter, and activation of Larsen’s home and extensive collections.
Arts Center at Duck Creek, East Hampton, NY | This arts center honors the legacy of abstract expressionist artist, John Little (1907-1984), who moved a 19th century historic barn to this property in 1948 for use as a studio space and meeting place for fellow artists. Today, the site, which offered its first full season of programming in 2018, continues to evolve as a multi-disciplinary arts center, which includes free programming as varied as exhibitions, musical performances, and poetry readings.
Home of Aminah Robinson and Fellowship & Residency Program, Columbus, OH | The Columbus Museum of Art recently preserved the former home of artist Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson (1940-2015), which includes many artist-designed features such as the front door and the in-situ artworks found in the kitchen. The space now serves primarily as an artists’ residency, providing African American artists and writers the opportunity to live and work in Robinson’s home studio. Robinson worked in numerous artistic disciplines, and was noted for her many talents and accomplishments in the fiber arts. The renovation of Aminah’s home and establishment of the artist residency program were made possible by support from The Columbus Foundation and The Greater Columbus Arts Council.
Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney Studio, New York, NY | The former studio of sculptor, arts patron, and museum founder, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875-1942) is National Historic Landmark located in New York City’s lower Manhattan at the New York Studio School, an active arts school, founded in 1964 by artist Mercedes Matter, in collaboration with a group of students and faculty. In 2014, the Whitney studio was designated by the National Trust as part of their National Treasures initiative. Tours of the studio are available by appointment. This site will also have nearby company, with HAHS members the Judd Foundation at 101 Spring Street and the Renee and Chaim Gross Foundation at LaGuardia Place, both also located in New York City.
“We were delighted to welcome this first class of Affiliate members into this program and know that they can inspire others by illustrating the myriad ways in which sites can be preserved to artistic legacy, and to demonstrate the ongoing processes of evolution,” says HAHS Director, Valerie Balint. “We know this new category will provide additional pathways by which all kinds of artist-centered sites can engage with their professional peers and participate in the dynamism of this ever-growing network. And that together, we can continue to celebrate and amplify the vital role all these places play in our nation’s cultural landscape."
Through this initiative and ongoing work, both HAHS and the National Trust reflect the expanding definitions of preserved artist material culture and give attention to a wider range of artistic narratives and traditions, and look forward to engaging with new members and providing opportunities for education, mutual-mentoring, peer dialogue, and amplification of their properties and unique stories through our public outreach.
INFORMATION FOR POTENTIAL APPLICANTS:
In year two of this initiative, applications for consideration are now being accepted for this new category through rolling submissions. All applications are peer reviewed by members of the Historic Artists’ Homes and Studios staff and advisory committees, composed of leadership staff working at HAHS-member sites, and esteemed members of the art history and preservation community. Once HAHS has amassed a critical mass of applicantions it will notifify all applicants of review and acceptance timelines. In future years, HAHS will seek to create a standard “open call” for Affiliate applicants each spring, with a parallel open application period for the traditional Membership category occurring during winter months, annually.
The Affiliate category was expressly created to serve those sites which may be in earlier stages of development as public institutions, and/or may not conform to traditional definitions of a preserved artist home and studio space. The category features more relaxed criteria thresholds and reduced annual membership dues to make participation feasible for those organizations with more limited financial resources. Where desired, HAHS leadership will provide guidance and resources, to assist an Affiliate member for later entry into Membership.
Creating a new category was also the result of recognizing that prejudice against, and social injustice and economic inequality experienced in BIPOC, and other underrepresented communities has historically meant barriers to opportunities to preserve sites of artistic legacy in traditional ways – and that should not in itself prohibit entry into HAHS.
Affiliate Membership, therefore, actively seeks to broaden entrance into the program to include sites that may not follow traditional models of operation, interpretation, or visitation – and are outside the normal scope historically considered for membership in the HAHS program. In creating this new membership category, HAHS recognizes and embraces that there are different models for preserving cultural artistic legacy, and for activating sites, than those that have been historically included in its membership. This new membership category will enable HAHS to further amplify that a variety of spaces existed and do exist for creating art, beyond traditional home and studio paradigms, including outdoor studios, collective workspaces, and artist-designed vernacular environments.
Eligible applicants in this new category could include individuals or organizations which preserve a space associated with an artist or artists which is not strictly a historic home or studio but may have served as a salon or convening/exhibition space for artists and their working process. Sites which are not currently open to the public but foster the legacy of an artist and the historic property through active public outreach online, may also be considered. Examples of other types of sites that may be considered are those: Not currently holding non-profit status, but demonstrating a commitment to public education; acting as a for-profit while still having a strong legacy, community engagement, and interpretative component; preserved artists’ properties that may not function primarily as historic house museums, but in other educational capacities, such as housing for contemporary artist residency programs; foundations or other entities preparing for the legacy of a living artist with clear and demonstrable intention to open a public site at a future date; and artist foundations, which own and preserve artist spaces, that are not currently open for public visitation.
Please e-mail artistshomes.org to receive of summary of new membership criteria, and an application.
The launch of this new category parallels efforts program-wide to widen the circle of preserved sites included in its membership, giving equal agency to iconic and widely recognized artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock, alongside self-taught artists such as Clementine Hunter and James Castle.
