Peruse Sag Harbor Art Galleries at HarborFrost 2017

Willem de Kooning once said “I make pictures and someone comes in and calls it art,” which begs the questions who is that someone? And what is art? Is art, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder? Let’s agree on that, and say that we’ll seek out more art in an effort to combat the increasing homogenization and commercialization of society; that while strolling Main Street enjoying the HarborFrost festivities, we’ll step into one of Sag Harbor’s many art galleries and call something art. From surfboards and handmade collectibles to fine art photography and painting, the village’s galleries have it all. So get out there and support your local artist. If we don’t, who will?

artUNPRIMED at 7 Main Street—look for the addō store sign—has a new group exhibition called “Women,” featuring several East End artists including Christian Little, Ingrid Silva, Jane Martin, Dalton Portella and others. The exhibit features art exploring women as the subject matter. 631-905-9782 artunprimed.com

For 20 years now Grenning Gallery has been dedicated to the revival of classical art in Sag Harbor. The gallery’s current show, “Expanding Tradition: The Journey of the African-American Artist,” showcases the works of Mario Robinson, George Morton, Philip Smallwood, Jas Knight, Roger Beckles, James Hoston and Irvin Rodriguez—remarkable Black artists who have mastered those techniques. This show was inspired by and curated with Andree MiChelle, a local African-American writer launching her latest book, Escape Under Cover: The Old Mae Story, this month. 17 Washington Street, 631-725-8469 grenninggallery.com

It’s the one with the green door. Romany Kramoris Gallery, at 41 Main Street, has long been a staple of Sag Harbor, a little piece of Greenwich Village in Sag Harbor. Its eclectic collection has something for everyone—from vintage postcards and out-of-print collectable art books to handblown glass pieces and original artwork by local and international artists. Check it out to see what other treasures you might find there. 631-725-2499 kramorisgallery.com

Tulla Booth Gallery at 66 Main Street features fine art collectable black-and-white and color photography by some of the finest photographers in the world in contemporary, modern and vintage prints. Visit the gallery for breathtaking landscape, seascape, still-life, travel, celebrity and documentary photography. 631-725-3100 tullaboothgallery.com

If you’re looking for something slightly different, head over to Surfari Crossroads Gallery at 16B Main, just behind Muse in the Harbor where surfboard becomes canvas. It’s truly an art space like no other, a collaborative project by two avid surfers—owner, local realtor and entrepreneur John Healey and artist Greg Miller. The space exclusively features Miller’s one-of-a-kind, hand-painted and collaged works rendered on vintage, recycled surfboards, many of which come from Long Island’s oldest surf shops. 631-899-4677 surfaricrossroads.com

After 17 years on in Water Mill, Sara Nightingale Gallery recently moved to 26 Main Street in Sag Harbor. “I love the uniquely personal small businesses in Sag Harbor,” Nightingale says. “Everyone seems to have a particular voice that is emphatically non-corporate.” The inaugural show at the new space features the photography of Ross School student Aaron Kresberg—his senior project and a fundraiser for the Rare and Endangered Species Trust (REST) Namibia. 631-793-2256 saranightingale.com

While the fresh brioche donuts at Grindstone Donuts and Coffee at 7A Main Street are like works of art themselves, the shop, opened over the summer, proudly displays a varied collection of local artists’ work hung from the pegboard wall. It’s all for sale with proceeds going directly to the artist. Talk to Kyle, the owner, about getting your work displayed. 631-808-3370 grindstonecoffeeanddonuts.com