Dia Bridgehampton is a museum in Bridgehampton, New York run by the Dia Art Foundation. Opened in 1983 as the Dan Flavin Art Institute, the building was renovated by Dia, under the direction of minimalist sculptor Dan Flavin, as a permanent display of his fluorescent light works in a single-artist museum. The museum also houses a gallery for temporary exhibitions, and a display of historic objects related to the building from before it became a museum.
The museum building was originally built in 1909 as a firehouse, and then used as a church from 1924 to 1979. This history is part of the reason Dan Flavin chose the building to house his work, and is referenced in some exhibits.
In early 2020, Dia renamed the "Dan Flavin Art Institute" to "Dia Bridgehampton". The Flavin works within the museum are now considered the "Dan Flavin Art Institute" while the rotating gallery makes up the rest of "Dia Bridgehampton". This museum is one of the twelve locations and sites the Dia Art Foundation manages.
History Dia
In 1974, the Dia Art Foundation was established by Heiner Friedrich, Schlumberger heiress Philippa de Menil, and Helen Winkler to help artists realize ambitious projects whose scale and scope is not feasible within the normal museum and gallery systems.Colacello, Bob. Remains of the Dia. Vanity Fair. April 30, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2020. In 1979 the Dia Art Foundation purchased a former firehouse and church in Bridgehampton, New York to house a long-term exhibition of Dan Flavin's work as well as a rotating exhibition space. Dan Flavin was a minimalist sculptor, working primarily in fluorescent light, and was one of several artist Dia patronized through the 70's and 80's with stipends, studios, archivists, and single artist museums. Flavin was a resident of Wainscot at the time, but had previously lived in Bridgehampton for several years. He chose the turreted, shingle-style building for its accessible location and open floor space.
Construction While some repairs were made to the roof after purchasing, major renovations began in September 1982 with the architect Richard Gluckman designing the museum, under Flavin's direction.Hay, David. The Artists' Architect, Building for Art's Sake. New York Times. November 14, 2004. Retrieved July 19, 2020. Gluckman had connections to both Flavin and Dia, having previously worked with Flavin on a 1977 installation for the Dia founders as well as designing the Dia Center for the Arts on West 22nd Street, now Dia Chelsea.
The renovation of the former firehouse and church included repairs to the exterior, new landscaping, and extensive remodeling of the interior. Interior work included the addition of a fire sprinkler system and a large scale rewiring of the building to accommodate the power draws associated with Flavin's fluorescent light sculptures. Ultraviolet-filtered glass windows were installed with grey mylar shades to help control the lighting inside. The newel post, or main post at the foot of the staircase, was painted fire-engine-red as a reference to the building's use as a fire station. A small gallery on the second floor was created to hold memorabilia from the renovation process including the church doors and a neon cross. Gutters and external electrical cables were removed. Exterior doors, paneling, and shingles were restored and a blue light was installed under the lower cornice. "We've tried to put the firehouse façade back on it," said Flavin, referencing a new set of double doors which duplicated the look of the original firehouse doors that allowed the engines in and out.
Opening The museum opened on June 18, 1983 as the Dan Flavin Art Institute. Flavin dedicated and named the building after James Schaeufele, the site supervisor of the renovation project, as he often titled his work after people close to him. In its original configuration, the museum was created to house a permanent display of Flavin's work in the building's vestibule and second floor. An artist's archive, a printmaking workshop area, and a rotating exhibition space were planned for the first floor and an upstairs apartment. An adjacent residential property was repurposed to hold the administrative center of the institution.
An exhibit of fire department memorabilia, much like the display of church objects already installed, was planned to be assembled and installed in the bell tower after the opening of the museum. An apartment on the second floor was also planned for visiting printmakers and an intaglio press was planned to be installed in the former kitchen space.
Reorganization Without any physical changes to the structure occurring, Dia switched from calling the museum the "Dan Flavin Art Institute" to calling it "Dia Bridgehampton" between a November 21, 2019 and a January 29, 2020 press release.Dia Announces Its 2020 Exhibition Program across Its Eleven Sites and Reopens Dia Chelsea on September 17. Dia Art Foundation. Retrieved July 19, 2020.New Immersive Sound Installation by Carl Craig Opening at Dia Beacon on March 6, 2020. Dia Art Foundation. Retrieved July 19, 2020. The term "Dan Flavin Art Institute" is now used solely for the Flavin works on display. "Dia Bridgehampton" includes the Flavin exhibit and the rotating gallery. One exhibit per year is displayed in this rotating gallery, with a focus on artists living or working on Long Island.
Dan Flavin Art Institute
The Dan Flavin Art Institute is a permanent display of Dan Flavin's work within Dia Bridgehampton. This display consists of nine fluorescent light works and one drawing. The institute is a mini-retrospective touching on each of the major type of work he created with the medium. Dia expresses that the lights and the architecture should be viewed as a "single, continuous installation," and that "Flavin provided an experience built of provocative contrasts—between colors, intensities of light, structure and formlessness, the obvious and the curious, the serious and the humorous."
The following table lists the works on permanent display.
TitleDateMaterialEditionOwner red out of a corner (to Annina) 1963 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 2/3 The Estate of Dan Flavin untitled 1976 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 2/3 Dia Art Foundation untitled (to Robert, Joe, and Michael) 1975-81 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 2/3 Dia Art Foundation untitled (to Jan and Ron Greenberg) 1972-73 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 2/3 Dia Art Foundation untitled (in honor of Harold Joachim) 3 1977 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 1/3 Dia Art Foundation untitled (to Katharina and Christoph),(from the European Couples series) 1966-71 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 1/5 Dia Art Foundation untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 1 1972 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 1/3 Dia Art Foundation untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 2 1972 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 1/3 Dia Art Foundation untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 3 1972 Fluorescent light and metal fixtures 1/3 Dia Art Foundation untitled drawing for icon IV (the pure land)(to David John Flavin [1933–1962]) 1962 Pencil and chalk on paper Collection of Stephen Flavin
The building
The building Dia Bridgehampton occupies was constructed in 1909 and was previously used as a firehouse and a church. Flavin included this history though many of the renovations done to create the museum.
Bridgehampton Hook and Ladder Company Bridgehampton, New York, organized a volunteer firefighting service in 1895. The newly formed Bridgehampton Hook and Ladder Company of firefighters had its first meeting on May 15, 1895, with 15 members attending. Early meetings were held in Atlantic Hall on Ocean Avenue. The company purchased its first engine in 1899 and stored it in the barn belonging to the company foreman, Ed Roger. The engine was subsequently moved to the Academy on Ocean Road and, in 1900, to a building on the property of J. A. Sanford, one of the company's trustees. In 1905 a building lot on Corwith Avenue, then known as Kansas Avenue, was purchased for $270 () intending to build a headquarters for the company. The building was completed and dedicated in 1909 at a cost of $1593 (). The two-story, plus attic, building held fire fighting equipment on the first floor and a meeting room, or "Fireman's Hall" on the second. An old bell was purchased from the Academy for $5 and installed in the building's bell tower.
In 1921, Bridgehampton considered building a new Community House which would include a new firehouse. A motion was approved that stated if quarters were made for the fire department they would move in to the new building and sell the firehouse on Corwith Avenue, with the proceeds going towards the construction of the Community House. The Community House was completed in 1923 and the Fire Company moved to the new quarters there. The Bridgehampton Hook and Ladder Company was dissolved on May 28, 1923, and a new fire district was approved by the Town Board of Supervisors. The new firefighting organization was named the Bridgehampton Fire Department.
First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton In 1924 the First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton, under the leadership of H.D. Strotter, purchased the building and began using it as a church.Dia Bridgehampton. Dia Art Foundation. Retrieved July 19, 2020. In February 1947 a vote was taken by the congregation about whether to build a new church. The vote passed, but the reverend decided to renovate the building instead. This 1947 renovation included a new cornerstone laid by the Prince Hall Freemasonry, also known as the African American Freemasonry. The main entrance was moved to the side of the building and the façade was extended. An annex was also constructed for a first-floor garage with an apartment over it. The building remained in use as a church through the mid-1970s.Bell, Tiffany. Dan Flavin: nine sculptures in fluorescent light, 1963–81. Dia Art Foundation. Retrieved July 19, 2020. At this point the First Baptist Church congregation grew too large and a new church was erected nearby.
Historic display
The back room on the second floor contains a display of historic memorabilia from the First Baptist Church. This display includes the church doors and a frosted glass window. This room also includes a large neon cross from the church as well as the 1947 church cornerstone which was removed and preserved here. This cornerstone was laid by a chapter of Prince Hall Freemasonry, also known as the African American Freemasonry.
Dia comments in a pamphlet that this space, and its neon cross, "alludes to Flavin's transformation of light and fluorescent fixtures from spiritual associations or mundane service to contemporary “icons” depleted of religious or utilitarian significance."
Temporary exhibitions The first floor of Dia Bridgehampton houses a gallery where temporary exhibitions are presented. This gallery was originally envisioned by Flavin as a venue for changing exhibitions as well as a print shop. When the museum opened, the plans for the gallery were to present prints created on the premises, historical exhibits of late 19th to early 20th century etchings, drawings, and watercolors, as well as contemporary works by artists such as James Turrell and Donald Judd. When the Dan Flavin Art Institute opened the first exhibit in this gallery was a presentation of Flavin's the diagonal of May 25th, 1963 (to Constantin Brancusi), his first work using fluorescent light fixtures, and preparatory drawings.An Introduction to Dia's Locations and Sites. Dia Art Foundation. pp. 31-35. The gallery has gone through many different curatorial shifts since this first exhibit.
Exhibitions under Flavin