For over 76 years, Guild Hall has been a center for the arts, entertainment, and education for the community. Its primary focus is to inform, inspire, and enrich its diverse audiences by presenting programs of the highest quality in the visual and performing arts, to collaborate with artists of eastern Long Island, and to provide a meeting place for the entire community.
Last year, over 40,000 visitors took advantage of the excellent programs offered by our three departments. The John Drew Theater stage provides dramatic, comedic and musical entertainment, as well as films, lectures and a summer literary series, hosted by prominent artists and writers. The Guild Hall Museum features world-class art exhibitions of internationally renowned visual artists and emerging regional artists. The Museum also encourages local talent with community art exhibitions. One of the directives of the Museum in to collect, preserve and present the works of accomplished East End artists. We have a significant permanent collection and archive approximately 1,900 works of art. Our Education program is devoted to serving the needs of the community and the local schools by integrating arts education into those programs that lend themselves to creative learning. We conduct master classes, studio workshops and also implement teacher training and outreach in the East Hampton School District.
In 1931, when Mrs. Lorenzo E. Woodhouse dedicated Guild Hall as a cultural center for the community, The New York Times noted that Howard Russell Butler’s portrait of Thomas Moran, on exhibit in the galleries, was not a loan, but an acquisition. “It marks the beginning of a permanent art collection which it proposed to build up in Guild Hall,” the newspaper explained. From the beginning over 76 years ago, the holdings have grown significantly in size and scope. In the early 1960’s, the collection began to focus on the artists who have lived and worked in the region, including some of the country’s most celebrated painters, sculptors, photographers and graphic artists. It was not until 1970 when the Dewey Wing, with climate-controlled art storage and processing facilities, was added, that collecting started in earnest. In 1973 the museum received the distinction of being accredited by the American Association of Museums. Today, the holdings of the 19th, 20th and 21st century art include paintings, sculpture, prints, watercolors, photographs and drawings by internationally distinguished artists such as Pollock, Krasner, deKooning, and Lichtenstein. The museum continues to acquire works by donation and acquisition. The year-round schedule of changing exhibitions includes both one-person and group shows, and annual Members Exhibition and the Student Arts Festival. Guild Hall is also home to the historic John Drew Theater, with a gorgeous jewel box proscenium stage that has hosted a veritable who’s who of 20th century theatrical luminaries since its inception in 1931. John Drew, a celebrated thespian and reigning lion of the Barrymore clan, chose East Hampton as his summer home. John Drew so charmed the citizens of the town that they dedicated the theater posthumously in his honor. The Theater enchants audiences with its octagonal shape and blue and white striped tent-like ceiling that sweeps up to a chandelier of the glass balloons. But it’s not just the interior that captivates audiences; it is the magic of what happens on stage. World-class performers include such entertainers as Academy Award winning actress Mercedes Ruehl, comedienne Joy Behar, performance artist Laurie Anderson and Robert Wilson, as well as author and playwright Wendy Wasserstein, cabaret stars Andrea Marcovicci and Michael Feinstein and jazz greats such as Earl Klugh and Regina Carter. Like the Guild Hall Museum, the John Drew Theater will continue to ignite the imagination, curiosity and wonder of our community, moving us forward into a new and exciting chapter of our history.
Guild Hall is now in the last phase of renovation- Phase 4, which tackles restoration of the much beloved but very aging 76 year old theater. We will restore the theater to its original 1931 charm at the same time we upgrade it to meet contemporary technical standards. The restoration will include new AV and mechanical systems, a new sound system, new digitized lighting controls, motorized rigging lighting, and renovation of the technical booths. When our splendid theater renovation is completed, the number of concerts, musical theater, literary, play readings and dance programs will grow, thus helping us serve the cultural needs for the entire East End.
Guild Hall is justly honored for its proud past but also trusted to shape a creative future for its diverse community.
The Museum is open 7 days a week. Monday – Saturday 11 am to 5 pm and Sundays from 12 pm to 5 pm.
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DIRECTIONS TO GUILD HALL
Long Island Expressway (495)
East to Exit 70-Manorville.
At the end of the exit ramp turn
right onto Route 111.
Take 111 South to tne end and
bear left to Route 27 Eest (Sunrise Hwy),
through Southampton, Water Mill,
Bridgehampton, Wainscott and to
East Hampton. Make
a left turn at the traffic light,
pass Town Pond and Mulford Farm.
Bear right on service road
Guild Hall is the first large
white brick building on the right
158 Main Street.
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