Guild Hall in East Hampton has announced its 2025 exhibition schedule. The museum will open on Sunday, May 4, with a dynamic group exhibition, “Functional Relationships: Artist Made Furniture,” and a site-specific environment titled “Wading Room” by Almond Zigmund. Summer exhibitions will feature Mary Heilmann’s first large-scale solo presentation with an institution on the East End and an installation and program series by Joel Mesler. The season will close with the return of the Student Art Festival, inspired by Robert Rauschenberg’s works.
“We are thrilled to present work by over 30 artists through a variety of group and solo exhibitions and site-specific installations, which include opportunities for public participatory programs,” shared Melanie Crader, Guild Hall’s museum director and curator of visual arts. “Guild Hall’s 2025 season exemplifies the truly interdisciplinary nature of artists across all generations.”
Utilizing Donald Judd as a historical reference, the group exhibition “Functional Relationships: Artist-Made Furniture” features East End Artists who make functional furniture as an extension of their creative practice. Artists include Scott Bluedorn, John Chamberlain, Liz Collins, Quentin Curry, Peter Dayton, Connie Fox, Kurt Gumaer, Mary Heilmann, Yung Jake, Donald Judd, Mark Wilson, Robert Wilson, Evan Yee, Nico Yektai, and Almond Zigmund.
In conjunction with the “Functional Relationships” exhibition. Almond Zigmund, artist and founder of the Almond Artist and Writers series, will lead the creation of a site-specific environment and a series of participatory public programs. The “Wading Room” installation will include functional, artist-made furniture for public use. The space will encourage visitors to linger, lounge, and interact, creating a dynamic gathering space that engages with the idea of how art can be an essential part of community building.
“Functional Relationships” and “Wading Room” will be on view from May 4 through July 13, with a member’s preview on Saturday, May 3.
“Mary Heilmann: Water Way” will be the artist’s first large-scale solo presentation with an institution on the East End, where she has been an integral part of the region’s creative community for decades. From California to New York City to Bridgehampton, Heilmann has prioritized living near water, which has profoundly influenced her life and work. Whether as a direct image or referential title, water has long been a recurring theme throughout her practice. The exhibit includes over 40 works of a focused area of her output, including works on paper, ceramics, and paintings spanning from the 1980s through the present.
“Joel Mesler: Miles of Smiles” will be the artist’s first exhibition and program at Guild Hall. Joel Mesler’s practice sheds light on universal themes by filtering them through autobiography, humor, self-deprecation, and surprising compositional juxtapositions. Mesler has explored the power of acceptance, allowing emotions and the cultural forms in which they become entangled to exist at the center of his projects. With “Miles of Smiles,” Mesler, an artist and former art dealer, will create an installation that mimics his studio, office, and exhibition space — including work by a select group of his contemporaries — providing a gathering and meeting place where the artist will host office hours. Mesler’s office hours create a simultaneous performance and public program.
“Mary Heilmann: Water Way” and “Joel Mesler: Miles of Smiles” will be on view from August 3 through October 26, with a members preview on Saturday, August 2, and will be celebrated at Guild Hall’s Summer Gala on Friday, August 1.
Exhibitions are organized by Melanie Crader, museum director and curator of visual arts, with Philippa Content, museum registrar and exhibition coordinator.
The “2025 Student Art Festival: Rauschenberg 100” will be on view from November 16 through January 4. This year’s festival honors the centennial of Robert Rauschenberg’s birth by joining an international museum initiative organized by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Guild Hall will partner with 10 public schools and 10 East End artists to collaboratively delve into what Rauschenberg called the “gap between art and life,” valuing chance and collaboration in various materials, subjects, styles, and creative techniques.
Guild Hall is completing gallery lighting upgrades through the end of April. Leading up to the reopening of the galleries in May, Guild Hall will have selections from the permanent collection on view in the public areas for patrons to enjoy while attending programs. Visit guildhall.org for a full schedule of events.