LongHouse Reserve Held Reading Celebrating The Launch Of James Salomon’s ‘DayDreams’

At LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton, a reading was held celebrating the launch of James Salomon’s “DayDreams.”

Inspired by the gardens and its founder, Jack Lenor Larsen, the book brings together original artwork, poetry, prose, and reflections from 44 artists whose lives and work intersect with the gardens, including Ai Weiwei, Laurie Anderson, Renée Cox, Eric Fischl, Philip Glass, Julian Schnabel, Sean Scully, Dustin Yellin, an introduction by LongHouse Curator at Large Glenn Adamson, reflections on Larsen by Dianne Benson, and writings honoring Buckminster Fuller, Toshiko Takaezu, and Lawrence Weiner.

“Daydreaming is a romantic notion of impractical thought, and yet sometimes the seed that boosts our creative energy,” wrote Salomon on a note pinned to his fridge for months while working on “DayDreams.”

Executive Director Lara Sweeney said, “Jack created LongHouse as a place where art, nature, and imagination could exist together, and DayDreams is very much in that tradition. These artists have taken something deeply personal—their own daydreams—and shared it with a community that he built.”

Contributing artists read from their works featured in “DayDreams.” “Do I dream?” read Michele Oka Doner. “It happens most nights, and more often than ever with the accretion of years resulting in layer upon layer upon layer of hopes and fears now deposited on my interior scaffolding, the place where dreams are born.”

Richard Pasquarelli and Benjamin Keating followed. “This book is the culmination of James Salomon’s very deep dive into the artistry sustaining LongHouse, making it unlike any other garden,” said Dianne Benson, President Emerita, “Having LongHouse in your heart is akin to a kind of dreamscape, for its concept was conjured by a man who lived with one foot in the clouds and the other on a very verdant earth.” Guests filled the pavilion, enjoying cocktails as each artist spoke.

Upcoming events at LongHouse include a visit by the New York Theatre Ballet performing a new work by Antonia Franceschi on September 12, a talk and creative workshop with multi-disciplinary artist Darlene Deloris on September 13, and on September 19, a conversation with Sarah Nagourney on women in the music industry. For further information, visit longhouse.org.