FUN FOR ALL AT THE HECKSCHER MUSEUM’S ANNUAL BENEFIT
The Heckscher Museum’s 2024 Celebrate Achievement Benefit was a roaring success. The event honored Kasmira Mohanty, Artist and Art Teacher; Artist Han Qin; and Huntington Town Historian Robert C. Hughes, for their unique contributions to the arts and continued support of The Heckscher Museum.
The event Co-Chairs did a wonderful job in bringing this fundraiser to life. The weather cooperated with a beautiful day, allowing guests to enjoy the outdoor patio at the picturesque Water’s Edge, Centerport. The day included a silent auction of photographs by artist Neil Scholl. Ryan Ingrasin photographed guests against a New York City backdrop by photographer Berenice Abbott. Abbott was the inspiration for the Benefit theme. Music at the event was provided by the Julliard Jazz Duo.
Proceeds from the Benefit support The Heckscher Museum’s exhibitions and programs.
Thank you to all the sponsors and donors for their generosity in ensuring that the Museum continues its work of bringing art and inspiration to the community. For more fun photos go to Heckscher.org/benefits/2024.
Benefit Co-Chairs and Committee Members: Poranee Chen, Katie Morin, Susan Van Scoy, Richard Cunniff, Jr., Elizabeth Halpern, Caroline DeDora, and Jill Seiman-Mayer (Not pictured: Jessica Brassler, Erin Cunningham, Susie Futter, Phyllis Woods, and Jen Zuklie).
SO IT BEGINS: A LETTER FROM THE CEO
With this issue, The Heckscher Museum begins one of the most exciting periods in its exhibition history.
First up, Robert Graham Carter: The Art of Reflection. The Museum is proud to present this solo exhibition of an artist who is nationally respected, renowned throughout Long Island, and especially beloved by Heckscher Museum visitors. Carter’s large-scale paintings and figurative compositions present vibrant images of shared humanity derived from his lived experiences. His work explores themes of childhood, spirituality, and greater societal issues interwoven with the American promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - national ideals we will ponder as we prepare for the national commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence in 2026.
February will also welcome the premiere of Embracing the Parallax: Berenice Abbott and Elizabeth McCausland focused on photographs and text from the "Changing New York" series of the 1930s. For the first time ever, curated by Jessica Rosen, Curatorial Assistant, the exhibition will center Abbott and McCausland’s prolific partnership, showcasing key images in Abbott’s photography career, paired with prose scribed by Abbott’s romantic and professional partner, art-critic Elizabeth McCausland.
The Heckscher Museum is proud to serve as a forum for community where sharing, educating, and conversing lead to better understanding and empathy. Our goal for the upcoming two years and beyond is to live our mission: to create opportunities for everyone to experience art that broadens understanding of the past, fosters community connections to the present, and creates diverse possibilities for the future.
These goals are made possible through the generous support of sponsors, donors, and members – like you. As you enjoy the beautiful photos on these pages from our most recent Celebrate Achievement Benefit, dynamic public programs, and upcoming exhibitions, we want to thank you for supporting the important work of connecting, educating, and inspiring our community.
With gratitude,
image:
Clockwise from top left: Celebrate Achievement Honorees Kasmira Monhanty, Robert Hughes and Han Qin; Heather Arnet with Robert Graham Carter; a festive table at the gala; Board Chairman Bruce Lev entertains the crowd.
Cover
Berenice Abbott, Parallax (Candles), 1951, Gelatin silver print. Gift of Mr. Morton Brozinsky.
EMBRACING THE PARALLAX: BERENICE ABBOTT AND ELIZABETH MCCAUSLAND
FEBRUARY 2 – MARCH 30, 2025
Sponsored by Susan Van Scoy, Ph.D., Brian Katz & Olshan Frome Wolosky LLP. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Embracing the Parallax: Berenice Abbott and Elizabeth McCausland will showcase twenty-two gelatin silver prints from the collection that span key points in the career of photographer Berenice Abbott (1898-1991). The photographs will be paired with the writing of her lifelong romantic partner, art-critic Elizabeth McCausland (1899-1965).
Centering photographs and text from the iconic 1939 book Changing New York, this exhibition will unpack Abbott and McCausland’s prolific partnership and
explore how it contributed to key moments in the crystallization of modernity.
Changing New York, with photographs by Abbott and text by McCausland, was not the original manuscript the two women imagined. Many of Abbott’s photographs were cut, and McCausland’s text was completely rewritten, resulting in both Abbott and McCausland not being satisfied with the final published product. This exhibition aims to restore their project to its original conception, taking an adventurous approach to uniting photography and text to portray the rapid modernization of New York.
As part of The Heckscher’s 2025 Pride initiative, this exhibition raises questions about the politics of visibility and invisibility by examining Abbott and McCausland’s intellectual partnership and romantic relationship. Abbott and McCausland’s collaborative projects can be viewed through the lenses of change and transformation, as they captured fleeting moments that would otherwise be lost.
Abbott was often drawn to the repetitious forms of New York's urban landscape, from streamlined buses or magazines at a newsstand, to architectural elements such as windows, columns, and arcades. McCausland’s writing explored the politics embedded in these works. These large format photographs were printed in 1982 for a special portfolio, from original negatives dating to the 1930s.
Embracing the Parallax: Berenice Abbott and Elizabeth McCausland was organized by Jessica Rosen, Curatorial Assistant, The Heckscher Museum of Art.
All the New York photographs took a good while to set up because it was necessary to select the camera position carefully. These photographs were not done on the spur of the moment.
— BERENICE ABBOTT
Left, Berenice Abbott, Tri-Boro Barber School, 1935, Gelatin silver print. Gift of Mr. Morton Brozinsky. Below, Berenice Abbott, Downtown Skyport,1936, Detail, Gelatin silver print. Gift of Mr. Morton Brozinsky.
ROBERT GRAHAM CARTER: THE ART OF REFLECTION
FEBRUARY 2 – MAY 25, 2025
Sponsored by Andrea B. & Peter D. Klein, Laura Shallat Benson, and William Blair. Generous support provided by New York State Council on the Arts.
Robert Graham Carter (American, b. 1938) is a visual artist best known for his mixed-media works including commanding drawings, sculptural, high-relief paintings, and whimsical works on wood. Carter’s figurative compositions routinely speak to systemic societal issues with a specificity derived from his lived experiences.
Robert Graham Carter: The Art of Reflection explores Carter's studio practice and his unique painterly viewpoint as it traces overarching impactful themes from his lifelong career. Created over the last sixty years drawing influence from his upbringing in the Jim Crow South, Carter's figurative compositions balance personal and universal truths, with a focus on topics pertinent to the African-American condition: the joy and importance of family, the legacy of segregation, the charm of childhood, the spiritual and corporal force that is the Black church, and the impression of Blackface on American culture.
Conceived in direct collaboration with the artist, this exhibit is curated by Sarah Battle, a research curator at the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky, with support from Camille Pratt, artist, and digitization specialist, Digital TransitionsPixel Acuity.
Following the exhibition at The Heckscher Museum, the exhibition will travel to the Cressman Center Galleries, University of Louisville, where it will be on view from August 1 through September 27, 2025.
Carter’s ties to the Heckscher span decades. His work is in the Museum collection and his was the first solo show
by an African American artist at the Museum held in the 1970’s. He has been a judge for our juried exhibitions and was an honoree at the 2023 Celebrate Achievement Benefit. Carter was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and currently lives on Long Island. He received his B.S. degree from the University of Louisville and
his M.F.A. degree from the prestigious Pratt Institute of Fine Arts. Carter was a distinguished professor of art at Nassau Community College, The State University of New York, where he taught drawing, painting and design for 50 years.
Below, Robert Graham Carter, Hanging Laundry #4, 2015, Acrylic, pencil, washboard, on joined wood panels. Robert Graham Carter Family Collection. Top, Robert Graham Carter, If Der Be Angels Then Some Must Look Like Me, c.2000s, Wood and acrylic. Robert Graham Carter Family Collection.
A LEADER IN K-12 FINE ARTS EDUCATION
The Heckscher Museum of Art provides exceptional arts education experiences for students across Long Island. During the 2023-2024 school year, Museum Educators engaged more than 6,000 students. That represents 72 schools and 58 school districts, with programs in galleries and schools.
Among the highlights of the past school year: in honor of Black History Month, the Museum partnered with The Leaders of the New School to work with students from Huntington and Walt Whitman High Schools. This transformative event amplified the artistry of BIPOC youth in Huntington. 2024 marked the 10th annual National Art Honor Society 6x6 Collaborative at the Museum, with a record nine high schools and two middle schools participating as partners.
Program content for Museum Discovery is inspired by the themes and works of art in the Museum’s changing exhibitions. Each school year presents fresh opportunities for students and teachers to learn about diverse works of art and related multidisciplinary content. For the current 2024-2025 school year, Museum Educators will connect students with artwork in three exhibitions The Body Politic: Long Island Biennial; Robert Graham Carter: The Art of Reflection; and Embracing the Parallax: Berenice Abbott and Elizabeth McCausland
Programs align with the New York State Education Department’s Learning Standards for the Arts, and embody the Museum's goals of DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Inclusion). Using inquiry-based teaching methodologies, Educators engage students in observational discovery, critical thinking, visual literacy, collaborative discussion, and creative expression. Learn more about K-12 programs at Heckscher.org/education.
"[The Museum] is phenomenal and always makes the school trip so enriching and exciting for our students! I’ve been making the trip since 2016 and it’s one of my favorites every year."
— ART TEACHER, SACHEM HIGH SCHOOL EAST
LEADERSHIP GRANTS FOR MUSEUM DISCOVERY PROGRAMS
The Slomo and Cindy Silvian Foundation
Suffolk County, through County Executive Edward P. Romaine, and Legislator Stephanie Bontempi
Frederic R. Coudert Foundation
Nadon Trust/Margy Hargraves and Family
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
Jefferson Family Charitable Foundation
The Alpha Omega Charitable Foundation
Frank J. Antun Foundation
New York Community Bank Foundation
The Rea Charitable Trust
LUNAR NEW YEAR FAMILY CELEBRATION
In collaboration with the United Asian American Alliance and Town of Huntington Asian American Task Force
SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 2025 • 12 - 5 pm
• FREE!
Celebrate and learn about Lunar New Year with a focus on Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Vietnamese culture at this free family event for all ages. It is the year of the snake! Travel to each country and have your “passport” stamped at each hands-on station. Get creative and enjoy a variety of activities. Meet artists, enjoy live dance and martial arts performances, and more! The first 100 guests will receive a lucky red envelope with celebratory stickers inside. At Lunar New Year, it’s tradition to give the gift of a bright, beautiful red envelope to friends and family. The red color symbolizes good luck and prosperity in Chinese and other East Asian cultures.
Join Patricia Shih and learn about Chinese culture with the Mobile Museum of authentic (and some replicate) artifacts of the history, art, culture, and more. Make a Chinese lantern and a bracelet with a Feng Shui coin. Meet artist Joan Kim Suzuki, view her artwork, and learn about Korean culture with many artifacts on display. Create a string spinner and pinwheel inspired by Korean mandalas. Fold your own origami with Hansen Lee from the Town of Huntington Asian American Task Force, and much more!
SUNDAY, JAN 5 12 - 2 pm
THE BODY POLITIC: LONG ISLAND BIENNIAL 2024 ARTISTS IN THE GALLERIES
Jessica Penagos, Alisa Shea, Karl Bourke, Charis Carmichael Braun, Blue Ruthen, and Herold Alexis.
TUESDAY JAN 14 and MARCH 25 10 am12 pm
HANDS-ON WORKSHOP WITH PROTÉGÉ ART STUDIO
Info and registration at Heckscher.org/sketch
SATURDAY, FEB 1 3 - 5 pm
EMBRACING THE PARALLAX & ROBERT GRAHAM CARTER OPENING RECEPTION Members, Donors, & Special Guests Exclusive Opening Reception. Registration required. Contact Caitlynn Schare at Schare@Heckscher.org
THURSDAY, FEB 27 6 - 7 pm
FEB 25 5:306:30 pm
CURATOR’S LOUNGE: ABBOTT AND MCCAUSLAND VIRTUAL PANEL DISCUSSION WITH TERRI WEISSMAN Registration required at Heckscher.org/Abbottpanel
YOGA IN THE GALLERIES: ART & MOVEMENT WITH JESSE CURRAN Register at Heckscher.org/yoga
SOUNDWALK AT ARTHUR DOVE AND HELEN TORR COTTAGE
Access anytime through the QR code for the Bloomberg Connects App
Member Benefits
THE HECKSCHER MUSEUM OF ART CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYONE TO EXPERIENCE ART THAT BROADENS UNDERSTANDING OF THE PAST, FOSTERS COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS TO THE PRESENT, AND CREATES DIVERSE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE.
The Heckscher Museum of Art is grateful to The Town of Huntington and the Town of Huntington Board of Trustees and Suffolk County Department of Economic Development & Planning for their generous support of the arts.
ASL, Braille, and Spanish language translation made possible by a generous grant from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
HECKSCHER MUSEUM HOURS
Thursday through Sunday 12 to 5 pm (Closed Monday through Wednesday)
DOCENTS IN THE GALLERIES
Docent volunteers are available in the Museum to answer visitor questions on select days. Please see Heckscher.org/calendar for details.
DIRECTIONS
LIE or Northern State Parkway to Route 110 North. Turn right onto Route 25A East, Main Street, in Huntington. Left onto Prime Avenue.
Collection.
PRIVATE GROUP TOURS
Tours for groups now available. For scheduling and fees, register at Heckscher.org/visit/groups-tours
BOOK YOUR VISIT IN ADVANCE WALK-INS WELCOME
Go to Heckscher.org/planyourvisit
VISIT HECKSCHER.ORG FOR EXHIBITION AND PROGRAM INFORMATION
Image: Robert Graham Carter, Social Center/Barbershop, 2009, Acrylic paint on board. Robert Graham Carter Family