It’s summer 2024 and even the most earnest galleries and museums are planning their schedules for 2026 and beyond. Art logistics do not make for timely viewing—which is why the Parrish Art Museum has teamed up with the Flag Art Foundation to create FRESH PAINT. The joint venture, which launched earlier this summer with a presentation by Lauren Halsey, on view through Aug. 25, is designed to eliminate the layers of production that take up so much time between conception and presentation in the art world. With the Flag Art Foundation located in Chelsea and the Parrish in Water Mill, the collab also serves as a way of building connections between the city and those out East.
Modeled after the Flag Art Foundation’s Spotlight series, FRESH PAINT presents single-work exhibitions in the Parrish’s Creativity Lounge. Each exhibition will be accompanied by two newly-commissioned texts—one from the critic-curator-scholar camp and the other coming from the Parrish’s teen council camp. Engagement with the Parrish’s youth programs will make FRESH PAINT a core part of the museum’s education and outreach initiatives with programming including talks, tours, and hands-on activities.
Such a structure will bring about “expansive and ever-changing dialogue,” explains Flag Art Foundation founder Glenn Fuhrman. “The art world moves at a breakneck pace, and this program is about slowing things down, concentrating and thinking critically about one, amazing artwork that's right from the studio. I am super excited about the idea and how quickly it's been embraced by the community.”
“Collaborating with the Flag Art Foundation on this initiative is a significant step forward for the Parrish,” adds Mónica Ramirez-Montagut, executive director of the Parrish.
“We will ensure that the interpretations and discussions around the artworks are rich and multilayered, reflecting the varied perspectives that relevant art works allow us to constantly unpack.”
