Curated by Henry L. Ferguson Museum Director Pierce Rafferty, the exhibition on the Museum’s first floor, The Cottage Colonies of Fishers Island, examines the early cottage colonies of Fishers Island, including the Bartlett, Hoffort, and Mansion House cottage colonies, and reveals how these late 19th century seasonal enclaves facilitated and supported the initial development of Fishers Island as a resort, while helping to shape the far-grander Olmsted Plan at the east end in the mid-1920s. The exhibit highlights both cottagers and cottages and includes rare photos of early Fishers Island resort life.
Former Oswald, this cottage is currently owned by the Carneys.
The second-floor main gallery features The Longer Look: Photographs by John Wilton, consisting of large-format photos of the Island’s beachscapes, landscapes, woodlands, and fortifications. Wilton, a self-described “photo nerd” received a degree in civil engineering and initially worked for Ammann & Whitney, designers of the GW and Verrazano bridges et al., before shifting to graphic design. He has been a frequent visitor to and photographer of Fishers Island for over 40 years since meeting Pierce Rafferty on location in 1980. This show is being co-curated by Pierce and artist Tim Tolman, a seasonal resident of Fishers and husband of Martha Torrance. A limited number of prints of the featured photographs will be available for purchase, with 50% of the proceeds supporting the Museum’s Art Fund.
The second-floor side gallery features Passage: A Public Sculpture Over Time, 1980–2025, with a series of photographs that illustrate nature’s impact on the large cement sculpture designed and installed on South Beach by artist Harriet Brickman in 1980. Many Fishers Island residents helped with the construction of the sculpture. The artist herself is curating this show. A talk on the work, co-hosted by the Museum and Lighthouse Works, is planned for later in the summer, but not yet scheduled.
Please join the Museum’s Board and staff for the opening reception on Saturday, June 28th, 5-7 p.m. All are welcome!
