Chandelier Creative’s “Mermaid Ranch” Open Residency in East Hampton
10-day artist stays throughout the summer in an idyllic setting
Be it the idyllic beauty or a shot at solitude, the Hamptons’ century-old art scene continues to foster profound talent. A devotion to the arts runs through museums and studios, residences and artist residencies. East Hampton’s Mermaid Ranch—which adds to this creative enthusiasm—began as a satellite office, of sorts. It was a remote refuge, designed to trigger ideas for people working at Chandelier Creative. Employees of the company (whether based in NYC or LA) could tap into the reprieve. And while this is still the case some seasons, during the summer, Mermaid Ranch hosts a series of 10-day artist residencies—and the artist gets the entire multi-bedroom, vintage furniture-decorated home to themselves with a series of requested supplies and equipment. Active since 2015, the destination continues to impress with the caliber of artists drawn each year—and their output.
Richard Christiansen—founder of Chandelier Creative—pioneered the space and its ever-growing roles. Christiansen, an adventurer (who recently summited Everest), seeks to develop talent just about everywhere—unhindered by obstacles. Last year’s roster at the Ranch included Chloe Wise and Daniel Heidkamp. Both of these artists—who continue to break new cultural ground—reflect the standard Christiansen is trying to set. Dozens of artists have already passed through the doors, including those making music and film.
The selection committee is also a testament to the program’s merit. “Earlier this year,” explains Chandelier Creative culture director and committee member Alexandre Stipanovich, “Bill Powers and I had a chat about what our artists residency could look like these days, riffing on the artistic legacy of the Hamptons. We thought it’d be great to have a little committee of artists and art dealers already spending time there and who are keen on activating the community.”
“Naturally the name of Rashid Johnson came up since he has a place nearby so Bill invited him [onto the selection committee]. After brainstorming on artists we’d like to support, we reached out to a few. Today we’re excited to open the doors of our residency to Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Shara Hughes and Collier Schorr, to name a few.” Mermaid Ranch and the committee care a great deal about emerging talent, and opportunities are offered to those believed to gain the most from an experience. Christiansen only asks that each artist leave something behind for everyone else to appreciate.
Artists can apply from Memorial Day Weekend until early September. They do so by submitting their CVs and an explanation of why they’re applying to mermaids[at]chandeliercreative.com.
Images courtesy of Chandelier Creative
