Dia Bridgehampton facts for kids
Exterior of Dia Bridgehampton
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| Former name | Dan Flavin Art Institute |
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| Established | 1983 |
| Location | 23 Corwith Avenue Bridgehampton, New York, US |
| Type | Art museum |
| Key holdings | nine works on permanent display by Dan Flavin |
| Collections | Modern and contemporary art |
| Founder | Dan Flavin and Dia Art Foundation |
| Owner | Dia Art Foundation |
| Public transit access | Bridgehampton station, Montauk Branch of the Long Island Rail Road |
Dia Bridgehampton is an art museum in Bridgehampton, New York. It is run by the Dia Art Foundation. This building has a cool history! It started as a firehouse in 1909. Later, it became a church in 1924.
The church used the building until the mid-1970s. In 1979, the Dia Art Foundation bought it. They turned it into a special museum for the artist Dan Flavin. It also has a space for other art shows. The museum opened in 1983 as the Dan Flavin Art Institute.
Today, the museum's second floor and entrance area show ten works by Dan Flavin all the time. The first floor has a gallery for new art shows. There's also a display of old items from the First Baptist Church. These include the church doors, a glass window, and a neon cross.
In 2020, the museum changed its name to "Dia Bridgehampton." Now, the Dan Flavin artworks inside are called the "Dan Flavin Art Institute." The rest of the museum, with its changing exhibits, is "Dia Bridgehampton." This museum is one of many places managed by the Dia Art Foundation.
Contents
The Museum's Story: From Firehouse to Art Space
First a Fire Station
In 1895, people in Bridgehampton, New York, started a volunteer firefighting group. It was called the Bridgehampton Hook and Ladder Company. They bought their first fire engine in 1899.
In 1905, the company bought land on Corwith Avenue. They wanted to build their own headquarters. The building was finished in 1909. The first floor held fire equipment. The second floor was a meeting room for the firefighters. They even bought an old bell for the tower!
In 1921, the town decided to build a new Community House. This new building would have a new fire station. So, the fire company moved there in 1923. The old firehouse on Corwith Avenue was then sold.
Then a Church
In 1924, the First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton bought the old firehouse. They started using it as their church. In 1947, the church decided to make big changes to the building. They added a new cornerstone. This stone was placed by a special group called the Prince Hall Freemasonry, which is an African American Freemasonry group.
During this renovation, the main entrance was moved to the side. They also added a new section to the building. The church used the building until the mid-1970s. By then, the church group had grown too big. They built a new church nearby.
Dia Art Foundation and Dan Flavin
The Dia Art Foundation was started in 1974. Its goal is to help artists create big projects. In 1979, Dia bought the old firehouse and church building. They wanted to use it to show art by Dan Flavin for a long time. Flavin was an artist who lived nearby. He liked the building because it was easy to get to and had open spaces.
Renovations started in 1982. The architect Richard Gluckman designed the changes, working with Flavin. They fixed the outside of the building. They also did a lot of work inside. This included adding a fire sprinkler system and new electrical wiring. This was needed for Flavin's art, which uses a lot of fluorescent lights.
Special windows were installed to control the light inside. The newel post (the main post at the bottom of a staircase) was painted bright red. This was a nod to the building's past as a fire station. A small gallery was made on the second floor. It holds items from the church, like the old doors and a neon cross.
Flavin wanted the outside of the first floor to look like the old firehouse. They even made new double doors that look just like the original ones. These were the doors where the fire engines used to go in and out.
The building reopened on June 18, 1983. It was called the Dan Flavin Art Institute. It was made to show Flavin's art permanently. It also had a space for other art shows.
Later, between 2019 and 2020, Dia changed the name of the building. It became "Dia Bridgehampton." Now, the "Dan Flavin Art Institute" refers only to Flavin's artworks inside. The rest of the museum, with its changing art shows, is "Dia Bridgehampton." One new art show is displayed each year. These shows often feature artists who live or work on Long Island.
Dan Flavin's Art Institute
The Dan Flavin Art Institute is a special part of Dia Bridgehampton. It permanently displays art by Dan Flavin. There are nine works made with fluorescent lights and one drawing. This display opened with the building in 1983. It shows different types of art Flavin made using light.
Dia wants visitors to see the lights and the building as one big artwork. They say Flavin created an experience with "provocative contrasts." This means differences in colors, light brightness, and shapes.
Here are some of the artworks you can see there:
| Title | Date | Material | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| red out of a corner (to Annina) | 1963 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | The Estate of Dan Flavin |
| untitled | 1976 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | Dia Art Foundation |
| untitled (to Robert, Joe, and Michael) | 1975-81 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | Dia Art Foundation |
| untitled (to Jan and Ron Greenberg) | 1972-73 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | Dia Art Foundation |
| untitled (in honor of Harold Joachim) 3 | 1977 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | Dia Art Foundation |
| untitled (to Katharina and Christoph), (from the European Couples series) |
1966-71 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | Dia Art Foundation |
| untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 1 | 1972 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | Dia Art Foundation |
| untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 2 | 1972 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | Dia Art Foundation |
| untitled (to Jim Schaeufele) 3 | 1972 | Fluorescent light and metal fixtures | 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 |
Changing Art Shows
The first floor of Dia Bridgehampton has a gallery for temporary art shows. Dan Flavin originally wanted this space for changing exhibits. He also thought it could be a print shop.
When the museum opened in 1983, the first show here was Flavin's own work. It included his first artwork using fluorescent lights. Since then, many different types of art have been shown.
Early Exhibitions
Dan Flavin himself organized the first few shows. The very first one in 1983 featured paintings by Michael Venezia. These early shows focused on artists of that time. They also included historical artists and local crafts. For example, there was a show of drawings by James Brooks. In 1984, local arts and crafts were displayed.
In 1987, Dia changed how the gallery was run. They asked Henry Geldzahler, a famous art curator, to help. He planned three shows each season. Two were solo shows for one artist. One was a larger group show featuring artists from the East End of Long Island. Artists like Cy Twombly and Louise Bourgeois had shows here. There was even a show about Andy Warhol in 1992.
Exhibitions After Flavin
After Dan Flavin passed away in 1996, the gallery showed his work for several years. This included his drawings and early wall sculptures.
Later, Dia started showing other artists again. From 2004 to 2006, prints by Fred Sandback were displayed. There were also sculptures by John Chamberlin in 2007. In 2010, there was a short show of Flavin's drawings of the Hudson Valley.
For several years, the shows often connected to bigger exhibits at Dia Beacon or other places. For example, new work by Jean-Luc Moulène was shown in 2011–12. It went along with another show at Dia Beacon. From 2015 to 2017, Flavin's early wall sculptures were shown again.
Focus on Long Island Artists
Since 2017, the gallery has mostly shown art by a single artist. These artists usually live or work on Long Island. Dia asks them to think about the museum space when they create their art. Artists have made works that connect to Flavin's sculptures upstairs. They also consider the building's history or the local area.
Recently, the shows have gone beyond the museum walls. For example, Maren Hassinger put a sculpture on Dia Bridgehampton's back lawn in 2021–2022. Leslie Hewitt installed a bronze shape on a rock in the backyard in 2022–2023. And Tony Cokes even bought ads on nearby electronic billboards in 2023–2024!
Church History Display
On the second floor, there's a room with old items from the First Baptist Church. You can see the original church doors and a frosted glass window. There's also a large neon cross from the church. The 1947 church cornerstone is here too. This cornerstone was placed by Tyre Lodge No. 91. F. & A. M. This is a chapter of Prince Hall Freemasonry, an African American Freemasonry group. This group is still active today. It's named after Prince Hall, who was an important leader in the free Black community in Boston.
Dia explains that this space, with its neon cross, reminds us of how Dan Flavin used light. He took everyday fluorescent lights and turned them into art. He made them lose their normal meaning and become "icons" of art.
