The Bright Side

Sunny days lie ahead, and Avenue is basking in the glow of the season. With sunshine on our minds, we jump-start summer by visiting art power couple, painters Eric Fischl and April Gornik, who live and work in Sag Harbor. Once a sleepy whaling village, it’s now the hottest hamlet in the Hamptons. (Read our Sag Harbor guide, also in this issue, to find out where to go, who to know, and what to see and do.) Fischl and Gornik not only helped save the town’s iconic 1930s art deco theater, the Sag Harbor Cinema, they also opened the Church, a cultural center that has become a buzzing creative hub with a robust artistin-residency program, exhibitions, performances, and workshops. “The fundamental aspect of churches within community, maybe at its most basic level, is community,” Fischl says.

Culture and community enliven this issue, from a profile of 18-year-old rising dance star Madison Brown to four breakout artists that had the art world talking (and buying) at Frieze Week. And, as days turn warmer and longer, our wanderlust has been stoked to explore far-flung cultures, so we trek to the Franciacorta wine region in the foothills of the Italian Alps and the uber-luxe Cap Juluca resort on Anguilla, the Caribbean island that has become the rich and famous’s secret hideaway.

In celebration of the positivity we are feeling, award-winning artist and fashion world favorite Ruben Toledo has created a stunning, exclusive portfolio for Avenue showcasing the most beautiful and unique jewelry of the season. We were so uplifted by Toledo’s whimsical and happy drawings that we titled the story “She’s a Rainbow.”

See you at the beach!

PETER DAVIS Editor-in-Chief

DAHLIAS

GILT IRON TWO LIGHT SCONCES WITH AMETHYST, AMBER AND CLEAR ROCK CRYSTAL.

HEIGHT 31” WIDTH 15” DEPTH 6”

Nancy Kane (A Whale of a Good Time, page 62) spent her childhood summering in Southampton village. After a 20-year career in the world of Hollywood public relations, Kane now lives there yearround. She continues to put her PR skills to work, heading up events like the Halsey House Gala and the Southampton Arts Center’s Whimsy in the Garden, as well as SouthamptonFest in the fall. In her free time, she can be found walking her dog along Havens Beach or browsing the stacks in the John Jermain Memorial Library.

Mickey Boardman (Q&Ave, page 92) is a New York-based writer and media personality. His work has been published in the New York Times Magazine and Out, while his long-running column, “Ask Mr. Mickey,” runs in Paper magazine, where he also serves as editorial director. For this issue, he chatted with Lady Anne Glenconner, the aristocrat and memoirist. “She’s led an incredible life filled with glamour and pageantry, but also heartbreak and loss,” says Boardman. “She reinforces my long-held belief that the most entertaining people are teenagers and senior citizens.”

Ruben Toledo (She’s a Rainbow, page 54), who hand-drew designs around this season’s brightest baubles, considers jewelry the amulet of fashion. “Whether dressed to the nines or worn stark naked on the beach, gems are the powerful symbols of your personal style you wear with pride,” he says. Toledo’s illustrations have appeared in the New Yorker and Vogue, as well as numerous books, and have been exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Meanwhile, his longtime collaborations with his late wife, Isabel, were the subject of a book and exhibition at the Museum at FIT.

Eric Striffler (Artistic Communion, page 40) has been photographing subjects in New York City, the Hamptons, Miami, and the Caribbean for over two decades. His work has appeared in Town & Country, Architectural Digest, and Elle, while his clients have included Badgley Mischka and Aerin Lauder. For this issue, he photographed Eric Fischl and April Gornik in Sag Harbor. “I’ve heard their names for years,” he says. “They are two Hamptons staple personalities and yet I’ve never met them officially but always wanted to…And when I did, I discovered they were nicer and cooler than I even imagined.”

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Peter Davis

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Heather Hodson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Natalie D. Kaczinski

DEPUTY & MANAGING EDITOR

Angela M.H. Schuster

FASHION & FEATURES WRITER

Aria Darcella

DEPUTY PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

Mickey McCranor

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Celia McGee

FASHION EDITOR

Nolan Meader

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Jessica Lee

COPY CHIEF

Danielle Whalen

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Joshua David Stein, Constance C.R. White, Judd Tully, Todd Plummer, Mike Albo, Tom Shone

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jai Lennard, Nick Mele, Sophie Elgort, Richard Kern, Landon Nordeman, Johnny Miller, Martin Vallin

© 2023 by Cohen Media Publications LLC

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CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Nick Smith

COHEN MEDIA PUBLICATIONS LLC

CHAIRMAN

Charles S. Cohen