On Saturday, July 24, 2021 The LongHouse Reserve held their Summer Benefit gala “SAY YES”! With 400 guests, the 16-acre property with meandering paths leading to garden rooms and massive art installations was a sight to be seen. New installations by Daniel Arsham, John Giorno, Prune Nourry, and Beverly Pepper were appreciated. The property is certainly enjoyed by day, but with landscape lighting and art lit in many colors, it became a surreal wonderland. LongHouse Reserve, a mecca for gardeners, designers, art collectors and enthusiasts of life, was able to secure $500,000 to support the reserve created by Jack Lenor Larsen (1927-2020) collector, author and globally known textile designer.
With up to 75 works of art displayed full time in the garden Willem de Kooning, Yoko Ono, and Dale Chihuly could be seen amongst synchronized swimmers of the Brooklyn Peaches in the fountains while live music was played by Jamaican Reggae band ROYAL KHAOZ. Jazz was played by Melissa Walker, Chris McBride and their Jazz House Kids on the Willem de Kooning Lawn. Then after dark SOUNDWALL played to a light show at the Buckminster Fuller Fly’s Eye Dome while viewers sipped from the HMPTNS CBD bar while watching Huiwang Zhang articulations. Lite bites were provided by Canard Inc, with beverages by Frederick Wildman & Sons.
“This is what happens when you say YES!” said Dianne Benson, LongHouse Reserve Co-President while dressed in a Joshua Werber floral headpiece.
LongHouse Reserve guests included Caroline Baumann, Andrea Karambelas and Essie De Kwiatkowski, Ellie Libby, Lys Marigold, Cati Van Milders, Michael Pollack, Faith Popcorn, Temidra Willock, Tanya Willock, and Victoria Wyman. Other otables included Bill Caleo and Megan LeFauve, Ralph and Cornelia Heins, Sylvia Hemingway, Tony Ingrao and Randy Kempner, Fitzhugh Karol and Lyndsay Caleo, David Neville, Ralph and Ann Pucci with their son Michael Pucci, Cindy Sherman, Lee Skolnick, LongHouse Reserve Executive Director Matko Tomicic, Suzanne Vega, Gucci Westman, and Robert Wilson.
Auction items helped raise funds with works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Dawn DeDeaux, Shirin Neshat, Kiki Smith, Lucy Villeneuve, and Ai Weiwei.
Sponsors including Frost Productions, Frank Alexander NYC, Harbor Market and Kitchen, HMPTNS, Minogue Brothers Swimming Pools inc., MOE Masonry, Ray Smith and Assoc., R.B. Irrigation, Taylor Creative IncWhitmores and media sponsor LUXE Interiors+Design.
The founder Jack Lenor Larsen’s goal was to create a living work of art using installations, gardens, play of light, season giving regard to the transformation of life in all its phases. LongHouse is a living case study of those interactions including the people who become part of the art during their visit. The property provides a living, moving, transforming platform that creates interaction between the student and nature. They provide a LongHouse Scholarship Award,l internship activities and docent-led tours.
“We thank all of you who were in attendance, bid in the SAY YES Art Auction or who made contributions to our public programs. You lit up the night with your beautiful attire, bright smiles and your dazzling dance moves. Your support of the Summer Benefit enables us to serve the community with a higher purpose – making art, nature and design accessible to everyone with low admission and free entry to children and students of all ages. Thank you for believing in LongHouse.” LongHouse
