Guild Hall Delivers Top Honors at 85th Artist Members Show

Guild Hall’s annual Artist Members Exhibition is back for its 85th year with another exciting and wide-ranging mix of work in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and more by some of the community’s top and rising talents. All of the art on view is available for sale — with proceeds split between the artists and Guild Hall.

The show opened Saturday, November 16 with members-only reception, and the same day, Superposition Gallery and Hamptons Black Arts Council founder, and the exhibition’s Awards Juror, Storm Ascher chose Michael A. Butler of Sag Harbor as the Top Honors recipient for his painting “Lilies of the Field.” Ascher also awarded Honorable Mentions to Lilah Yektai, Ross Watts, Anita Giraldo, Raphael Ogoe, and Kenneth Jackson.

“We had a members-only preview on Saturday, so it was good,” explains Melanie Crader, Guild Hall’s Director of Visual Arts and Exhibitions. “And it was really packed. There were so many people there, and it felt really good, because this is about the community event. So it was great to see people. It’s also good to see art in person.”

Crader points out that the exhibition features more than 300 pieces of art by people from all walks of life. “The two requirements are being 18 (or older) and being a member of Guild Hall. So as long as you meet the size requirements, and as long as it’s original artwork, you can enter the show,” she says, adding later, “It’s great, because there really are a lot of serious artists in our community, along with people who are hobbyists. So it’s in that tradition where no matter what stage people are in their artistic process or journey, they can be included.”

The show’s Top Honors winner, Michael Butler — who is exhibited among successful working artists such as Joel Perlman, Eric Dever and Nick Weber — is a self-taught artist, historian, and humanitarian who describes his mostly acrylic paintings as narrative folk art with intricate, powerful details.

Ascher expressed pride in being chosen to decide the show’s winners. “I am honored to be selected as the awards juror for Guild Hall’s 85th Annual Artist Members Exhibition, a longstanding tradition that has contributed significantly to the cultural fabric of The Hamptons,” she said. “My work with The Hamptons Black Arts Council and Superposition Gallery has always been rooted in building community and supporting diverse artistic voices, which aligns closely with Guild Hall’s mission of fostering creativity and inclusivity on the East End, where I grew into the arts worker I am today. It is a privilege to join the esteemed history of past jurors who have celebrated the dynamic talent of this region. I look forward to bringing together our shared values to highlight the depth and breadth of this year’s submissions, honoring both the artists and the rich legacy of this exhibition.”

The Artist Members Exhibition is on view through January 5, 2025 and includes artists such as Almond Zigmund, Bastienne Schmidt, Cat Bachman, Christopher Kelly, Darlene Charneco, David Slater, Darius Yektai, Doug Reina, Donna Corvi, Joanna Steidle, Karyn Mannix, Kerry Sharkey-Miller, Marcie Honerkamp, Michael Paraskevas, Michele Dragonetti, Pat Kochie, Peter Dayton, Ted Hartley, Tucker Marder and Will Ryan among many others.

Works in the show are priced between $99 and $24,000 and available to view online via an exhibition catalogue through the Guild Hall website Shopify page, shopart.guildhall.org.

As tradition dictates, in addition to the Artist Members show, a past Top Honors winner from the 2021 exhibition, Linda Reville Eisenberg’s STILL is now on view in the newly renovated Tito Spiga Exhibition Space. Chosen in 2021 by Gagosian director and curator Antwaun Sargent, Eisenberg’s still-life paintings a created with a minimal approach making use of negative space to create calm and meditative compositions. Each Top Honors winner gets a solo show at Guild Hall.

“Presenting both the Artist Members Exhibition and the solo presentation of the 2021 Top Honors winner, Linda Reville Eisenberg, allows a cohesive thread between the important aspects of the members exhibition and Guild Hall’s mission — community and service to artists at all stages of their careers,” Crader said. “It was a pleasure to finally work with this year’s awards juror, Storm Ascher, an arts professional whose dedication to community, inclusion, and innovative modes of arts production is truly inspiring.”

Galleries are open Thursday to Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Museum admission is always free.

Learn more at guildhall.org.