Didier Malige
Hair Stylist, Wainscott
Cultured Magazine: What's your favorite farmer's market or local grocer?
Didier Malige: My most favorite food shop is called Loaves and Fishes in Sagaponack. And when it comes to vegetables, the very best corn is at Pike’s.
CM: What is one song always on your summer playlist?
DM: The album of my summer is The Bura by Bernard Fowler. He’s traveling with the Rolling Stones.
CM: Which local philanthropic, charitable or social change organizations do you champion?
DM: Madoo is a great example of an older vision of a garden—and a spectacular older garden mended by volunteers.
CM: What is your theory on the best time to leave and return to the city?
DM: There is no good time to leave the Hamptons during the week—unless you’re ready at 4 am. But, of course, every driver has a plan.
CM: What kind of art shows do you wish you'd see more of in the Hamptons?
DM: I wish to see more galleries with smaller paintings and photographs.
CM: Are there any sustainability efforts you'd like your community to support, or are proud to share that it recently has?
DM: The potato farmers are using less chemicals. It was so bad that the grasses used to be gone by mid-August, just totally burned by chemicals.
Adam Lindemann
Cofounder of South Etna Montauk Foundation, Montauk
Cultured Magazine: What kind of artists do you wish you'd see more of in the Hamptons?
Adam Lindemann: At the South Etna Montauk Foundation we try to showcase artists who have never exhibited in the Hamptons, like Faith Ringgold, who was our recent show, or Richard Mayhew, who we'll show in August. My wife and cofounder Amalia [Dayan] and I unconsciously perhaps would avoid anything beachy (ha!). We want to see projects of quality. Last year’s Robert Colescott and Lonnie Holley shows were tremendous and gave us encouragement to continue the Foundation into the future. Montauk benefits from some good art at the end of Long Island and we’re the lucky ones who are able to show it.
CM: What kind of art shows do you wish you'd see more of in the Hamptons?
AL: I find the galleries in East Hampton are pretty straight-up commercial, which is understandable as rents are high and the season is short. I miss my friend John McWhinnie who had an art book store with special artists' books I used to collect. Visiting him was always a treat; he passed away very young and I still think of him. The galleries that have opened out here are a welcome addition: Harper’s Books and Eric Firestone always do things that are offbeat and interesting.
CM: How have you seen the art community in the Hamptons change and how do you hope to see it continue to change?
AL: It’s growing and getting better, but it can still grow. Art in general seems to have captured people’s imagination more than ever.
CM: How have been your experiences with the community of artists that live yearround in the Hamptons?
AL: We plan on doing a fall/winter show of artists in the community called “LOCALS ONLY!"
Casey Fremont
Executive Director Art Production Fund, Bridgehampton
Cultured Magazine: What’s your number one packing essential for heading out East?
Casey Fremont: Dr. Barbara Sturm SPF 50 Sun Drops. I’ll be forever trying to reverse the sun damage from my teens, so I am fully committed to keeping my melasma at bay with proper sun protection in my thirties. I used to dread wearing sunscreen on my face because it felt like a hot mask, but these drops melt into your skin and you don't get that uncomfortable sunscreen feeling.
CM: What East End art show are you skipping the beach for this summer?
CF: The Parrish Art Museum’s “Set it Off” is an all-female group show curated by Deux Femmes Noires: Racquel Chevremont and Mickalene Thomas. Kennedy Yanko is included and I’m a huge fan of her work. I’m always excited to see how The Parrish is transformed by exhibitions, especially by the curatorial work of two brilliant women, Racquel and Mickalene. I’m also very impressed by the exhibitions (indoor and out) at The Ranch in Montauk, and look forward to a visit there. And, last but not least, my forever favorite, the Dan Flavin Art Institute. The permanent collection is a must see and the rotating exhibition space is always a treat. It’s walking distance from home, so it’s a frequent post beach, post Candy Kitchen ice cream visit.
CM: What kind of art shows do you wish you'd see more of in the Hamptons?
CF: Of course I would love to see more public art and site specific installations. It would be exciting to see public exhibitions by artists responding to the beauty of the East End and the art historical importance of the location. It’s such an inspiring place in so many ways. Exhibitions representing a wide range of diverse perspectives from artists working today who are responding to contemporary life, will continue to highlight the long standing significance of the area.
Max Levai
Founder of The Ranch, Montauk
Cultured Magazine: What’s your perfect work-to-play ratio while in the Hamptons?
Max Levai: Early surf, work, tennis, work some more, sleep.
CM: What’s your number one packing essential for heading out East?
ML: My Merrells.
CM: What East End art show are you skipping the beach for this summer?
ML: Richard Mayhew at South Etna Montauk Foundation. This will be the first time I see his paintings in person.
CM: What is one song always on your summer playlist?
ML: “A Simple Song” by Chris Stapleton.
CM: What is your theory on the best time to leave and return to the city?
ML: Avoid the mornings and drive at night.
Athena Calderone
Interior Designer, Amagansett
Cultured Magazine: What’s your number one packing essential for heading out East?
Athena Calderone: A crisp, zippy and mineral-forward white wine.
CM: What East End art show are you skipping the beach for this summer?
AC: As an interior designer I always love Market Art + Design. But the Upstairs Art Fair in my small community of Amagansett will be top on my list this July.
CM: How do you hope to see the community in the Hamptons change?
AC: I have built the most incredibly supportive relationship amongst the farm and food community here in Amagansett. The level of collaboration between the local farmers and restaurants here is extraordinary. They have the utmost respect for one another, educating, connecting, and sharing ideas constantly, both within and outside their field. I have learned so much from them and would love to see this level of cross-pollination, unity, and inclusion throughout the design community here, too.
CM: What kind of artists do you wish you'd see more of in the Hamptons?
AC: I would love to see ceramic artists having a presence. There is so much new talent in that space and they are ripe for a presence. I would also love to see more of a presence in Amagansett and Montauk— many gallery shows seem to be in South and Bridgehampton.
Nell Diamond
Hill House Home Founder, Amagansett
Cultured Magazine: What’s your number one packing essential for heading out East?
Nell Diamond: I'm very serious about sun protection, so I always have lots of sunscreen: EltaMD for my face, and Supergoop for my body. I love to walk into Amagansett square in the morning, and I always wear my Hill House Sun Hat for added UPF protection. And obviously, a Nap Dress®.
CM: What is one song always on your summer playlist?
ND: “Hey Ma” by Cam'ron, always.
CM: What is your theory on the best time to leave and return to the city?
ND: My husband, Teddy, is very serious about optimizing our drives. We have three kids under five, and two of them get very carsick. Our recent schedule has been leaving the city around 8 pm, so the kids can sleep in the car and there's less traffic. The transfer from car seat to crib is always tricky, but luckily all three have been tolerating it recently. I usually wear my pajamas (Hill House, of course) and do my skincare routine en route, so I can go right to sleep when we arrive.
Debi Wisch
Film Producer, East Hampton
Cultured Magazine: Describe an early Hamptons memory that brings you great joy.
Debi Wisch: I grew up in Winnipeg, Canada, and spent the first five years of my married and parenting life in Hong Kong so I have only known the Hamptons as a family summer spot! I have oh-so-many memories of our first summers out here. I always loved the go-kart race at Hayground, which is this cool creative magical summer camp where my son Spencer spent his entire summer designing and then building a gokart. At the end of the summer, there was a race—very loosely modeled after the Indianapolis 500—with a commentator giving the play-by-play on a megaphone. It was a scene: you’d have nine kids trying to move their beloved go-karts that barely moved around the course and it would take hours. The luckiest campers got to take their go karts home, and I still have one in our garage.
CM: What kind of art shows do you wish you'd see more of in the Hamptons?
DW: I suppose less expected ones, but the Hamptons art scene has really evolved and I kind of like what I am seeing… I was walking around East Hampton town today and saw a show at J. Mackey Gallery featuring works by students at LaGuardia High School. I love that kind of thing—art in the wild and stumbling upon the unexpected. Then down the street there's Firestone Gallery, Skarstedt, Pace, Halsey McKay and Rental—and that's just on the main strip!
CM: Which local philanthropic, charitable or social change organizations do you champion?
DW: I have a soft spot for the Hamptons International Film Festival. My newest film, The Art of Making It, premiered there in October. It takes place at such a beautiful time of year when summer turns to fall and is a joyous celebration of film and the Hamptons. I care deeply about cultivating the next generation of filmgoers and supporting independent filmmakers. I would hate to lose the magic of real live cinematic experiences and also the wonderful movie theaters we have in the Hamptons.
CM: Have any local figures played a significant role in shaping your career? If so, how?
DW: I can’t say that any local figures have played a role in shaping my career, per se, but the conversations I have had over lunches, dinners and walks have absolutely informed and shaped me. It's more accurate to say that the Hamptons in its entirety has played a starring role in shaping my life.
CM: What's your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant?
DW: Carissa’s for baking and soups and either Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor for tequila, pasta and fresh fish or Topping Rose in Bridgehampton for whatever the chef tells us to eat. Other than that, we eat at home a lot!!
CM: How do you hope to see the community in the Hamptons change?
DW: My relationship with the Hamptons changed during the two years we lived there and I have a much greater appreciation for it as a year round community invaded by urbanites in the summer. Keep the volume turned down - at least a bit! I don't want the Hamptons to lose its soul.
Kelly Behun
Interior Designer, Southhampton
Cultured Magazine: What’s your perfect work-to-play ratio while in the Hamptons?
Kelly Behun: I feel fortunate to find this a difficult question to answer because I think when you love your work as much as I do it can feel like play, causing all the traditional work/play boundaries to blur. Which is a just roundabout way of saying that I should probably play more.
CM: What East End art show are you skipping the beach for this summer?
KB: My friend Lisa Perry’s Onna House in East Hampton is stunning, and a remarkable example of what can happen when women support and celebrate each other. It’s a gorgeously restored private home with an impeccably curated permanent collection as well as a changing collection of artworks that put a deserving spotlight on female artists both near and far.
CM: What is one song always on your summer playlist?
KB: The Durutti Column’s aptly titled “Sketch for Summer” has for as long as I can remember been the song that most beautifully evokes summer for me. It’s an instrumental piece that is so simple and meditative, and for all the countless times I’ve listened to it, those birds chirping get me every time.
Jeff Lincoln
Art and Design Dealer, Southampton
Cultured Magazine: Which new cultural venues are you planning to explore this summer?
Jeff Lincoln: The Peter Marino Foundation at the old Rogers Memorial Library on Jobs Lane in Southampton and Make Hauser & Wirth. Yet another indication that Southampton is a new global arts and design location that is firmly established and only getting better.
CM: What's your favorite farmer's market or local grocer?
JL: I am a Catena’s kind of guy. Shop local, think global.
CM: What's your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant?
JL: Fresh Little Neck clams and the hazy IPA at The Clam Bar in Napeague. Throw in a plate of fried clam strips for good measure.
CM: How do you hope to see the community in the Hamptons change?
JL: The Hamptons community has already changed in all the ways I hoped when I opened my gallery. Thankfully, I rarely get the question any more, ‘Are you doing your pop again this summer?’
CM: Have any local figures played a significant role in shaping your career? If so, how?
JL: My local art installer Dave Orlando. Without him I am dead in the water, along with my gallery manager Sann Vandeventer, a longtime Southampton resident and factotum.
CM: Which local philanthropic, charitable or social change organizations do you champion?
JL: My charity is the Southampton Fresh Air Home, a great cause I make sure to support every year.
Fernando Wong
Landscape Architect, Southampton
Cultured Magazine: What East End art show are you skipping the beach for this summer?
Fernando Wong: I am a fan of Erick Johnson’s work so I am excited about his exhibition at the Kathryn Markel Gallery. I am also looking forward to HFAF (Hamptons Fine Art Fair) in July. It is taking place in a 30,000-square-foot air conditioned tent at the Southampton Fairgrounds and has a phenomenal line up of galleries.
CM: How do you hope to see the community in the Hamptons change?
FW: I wish there were more bike paths. It would be so nice to see more people walking and riding bikes and many less driving cars. It would help the climate and make the Hamptons a much more beautiful and peaceful place.
CM: What kind of art shows do you wish you’d see more of in the Hamptons?
FW: I think that for a series of small seasonal towns the Hamptons does a fantastic job of including all kinds of art and artists. I have been coming for over 20 years and the art scene gets better every summer. A great example of this is the newly opened Peter Marino Art Foundation in Southampton.
Emily Smith
Lafayette 148 Creative Director
Cultured Magazine: Which new cultural venues are you planning to explore this summer?
Emily Smith: Lisa Perry recently opened Onna House, a haven for female artists and designers from around the world to showcase their work and discover new talent. Myself, along with Lafayette 148, share a like-minded vision to support and champion women in art, so I’m excited to visit the space and connect with the community there.
CM: What's your favorite farmer's market or local grocer?
ES: The Basalm Farms farmstand in Amagansett. It’s important to support our local farmers, so I always take a trip when I’m out East. The strawberries and sweet corn are two of my favorites.
CM: What’s your number one packing essential for heading out East?
ES: A wide-brimmed hat. Our Bolero Icon Hat combines intelligent Italian craftsmanship with studied modern design; my new summer staple that marries form and function.
CM: What sounds, colors or smells do you most strongly associate with the Hamptons?
ES: A soft palette of neutrals and a variety of tonal blues are reminiscent of the seaside architecture out East.
CM: What's your favorite meal at your favorite restaurant?
ES: The Farm Chicken at Le Bilboquet in Sag Harbor is exquisite.
