FIRE ISLAND ART - 100 YEARS

Please join us in the Greenhouse to commemorate FIRE ISLAND ART, 100 YEARS: the first book to survey the rich history of art on Fire Island – a beloved destination and cultural haven for queer individuals from around the world.

For nearly a century, the LGBTQIA+ community has been drawn to this rich summer destination. Located just ninety minutes from New York City, the slender barrier island has served as a source of creative inspiration for residents and visitors, including many of the most influential artists of the past century.

This Monacelli Press title, the first of its kind, presents an art history of Fire Island, surveying the rich tapestry of visual artworks in all mediums created there since the 1930s. Written in many chapters by leading art writers, the story centers on a group of friends and collaborators who drew inspiration from one another and the island's unique setting, at each juncture in its history.

While including work of historic artists like Paul Cadmus, David Hockney, Peter Hujar, Robert Mapplethorpe, Paul Thek, and Andy Warhol, it also chronicles the explosion of art-making on the island over the past fifteen years, with works by contemporary artists such as TM Davy, Nicole Eisenman, Lola Flash, K8 Hardy, Lyle Ashton Harris, Doron Langberg, Wolfgang Tillmans, and Salman Toor. 

This celebration will include remarks by book editor John Dempsey, followed by a panel discussion with contributors Philip Gefter, Ksenia M. Soboleva, and Michael Bullock. Dempsey also serves as president of the Fire Island Pines Historical Society, which preserves the island’s history through archives, exhibitions, and events. In 2025, he helped republish The Butch Manual, a cult gay classic that had been out of print for 40 years.

Fire Island Art is richly illustrated with 290 images on over 300 pages. Books will be available for purchase.

• 6:30pm-9:30pm; Discussion at 7pm
• Cash bar
• Admission is free. Please RSVP with the form 
• Please do not RSVP more than once
• Only the first 175 guests will be admitted
• Please enter at 10 Allen Street

MAKE A NIGHT OF IT

Start with dinner at Corner Bar, then head upstairs for the program — or join us for a nightcap in the Swan Room.