Exhibition Opening - Reclamation: Narratives of Space, History, and Culture

Presented in partnership with Ma's House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc., RECLAMATION: Narratives of Space, History, and Culture is on view at Southampton History Museum from May 10th–September 28th, 2024. Join us for the opening reception catered by Sant Ambroeus on Friday, May 10th, from 5:30–7:30 pm (free admission, RSVP required).

The exhibition takes inspiration from the complex history surrounding the Rogers Mansion, now home to the Southampton History Museum. Among its former residents was Samuel L. Parrish (1849–1932), a wealthy attorney and influential member of Southampton's Gilded Age society. During the last decades of his life, Parrish helped build several long-standing local institutions, including Southampton Hospital, Parrish Art Museum, and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Today, these institutions continue to promote Parrish’s wide-ranging civic values, from education to medicine to the arts and culture, as well as sports and recreation. Yet, Parrish's achievements were not made without significant loss. Land development projects pursued by Parrish and others, especially in Shinnecock Hills and around Lake Agawam, negatively impacted the Shinnecock community as well as local residents of color who experienced dispossession, displacement, as well as the destruction of sacred and ancestral sites.

The exhibit features visual art by artists Dominick Cocozza, Chris Cook, Daesha Devón Harris, Dana Lynn Harper, Tammie Dupuis, Faith Evans, Angela Franklin, Sueey Gutierrez, Josie Licavoli, Henry Morales, Courtney Minor, Francena Ottley, Marisa de la Peña, Kimi Rodriguez de Picerno, Amelie Wang, & Carolina Yáñez. These BIPOC artists live and work across the United States, with several being alums of the Ma’s House residency program and previous exhibiting artists. A selection of works on view will be available for purchase to support each artist and Ma’s House.

“In a world where stories have been silenced, spaces overlooked, and cultures marginalized, this exhibition aims to provide a platform for artists to reclaim agency and amplify voices that deserve to be heard.” --Shinnecock artist and curator Jeremy Dennis, who leads Ma's House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. 

“How might we reclaim what has been lost or omitted in the stories we tell about Southampton’s past? This is a challenging but compelling question. We’re so grateful to partner with Jeremy Dennis in bringing the perspectives of sixteen BIPOC artists together at Rogers Mansion—Mr. Parrish's old summer house—to explore the possibilities of reclamation through creativity and learning.”--Sarah Kautz, executive director of the Southampton History Museum

About Ma's House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc.: Led by Indigenous artist Jeremy Dennis, Ma's House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. serves as a communal art space based on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation in Southampton, New York. Featuring a residency program, shared art studio, communal library, and various art and history-based programs, the project aims to amplify the voices and experiences of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color artists.