Artists to paint new life into old pews at CAST

The retired church pews that once adorned the gathering hall at Southold’s Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation will soon get a refresh thanks to a partnership with North Fork Contemporary, a new nonprofit arts organization.

The project, dubbed “New Views/Old Pews,” was the brainchild of NFC board member Glynis Berry and calls for local artists, architects, craftspeople and carpenters to come up with ways to “transform 19th-century church pews into works of art, architecture, landmarks or follies,” according to a press release from NFC.

NFC has only had its 501(c)(3) status for a few months, according to founder and director Sean Ellwood. The group’s mission is to “educate, inspire and enrich the artistic experiences of residents and visitors to Long Island’s North Fork,” its website states. “Through programs designed to support and create opportunities for artists and audiences, we aim to make the transformational powers of contemporary art, design and ideas accessible to all.” The group has five members on its board and more than 500 supporters on its mailing list.

While NFC doesn’t have a permanent building to call home, the group has been offering programming for “artists and art-interested audiences,” Mr. Ellwood said. They have hosted various events, such as artist Zoom talks and film screenings. He said a project like “New Views/Old Pews” is novel for the organization.

“It’s something that we want to do going forward from a couple of points of view,” he said. “One, we want to have collaborations with other interesting organizations, allied organizations … but also we want to be able to tie our own arts programming in with what it is that they do.”

The pews project has two phases. The first, which is underway, consists of soliciting and reviewing proposals for the pews from artists and craftspeople. Anyone interested in participating can visit bit.ly/413ydTG for more information. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 30.

There are 16 pews available for the project, with lengths ranging from 7 feet to nearly 20 feet. The pews are currently in storage on the North Fork, according to Mr. Ellwood.

The winning proposals will be selected by Barry Bergdoll, the Meyer Schapiro Professor of Art History at Columbia University. Mr. Bergdoll, who lives in Orient, has directed exhibitions for numerous institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, where he served as chief curator of architecture and design from 2007 to 2013. The selected drawings will be on display at CAST Feb. 4-17 and be offered for sale through an online auction. Proceeds from any sales will be divided three ways — 40% to the artist, 30% to CAST and 30% to North Fork Contemporary.

The second phase of the project begins in the last week of February, when the pews will be made available for the artists to begin their work, and each “will receive a commissioning fee of $300 to cover the cost of materials,” the press release said. The finished pews will then be installed at CAST for exhibition beginning April 7. A live auction will be held April 14 and the revitalized pews will be delivered to their new owners the next day. 

Retiring the pews isn’t the only update CAST has undertaken at the gathering hall recently, according to the nonprofit’s executive director, Cathy Demeroto. The group has also installed theatrical lighting and sound systems, as well as fresh paint and theatrical curtains. Since the pews were retired, folding chairs have been used to fill the gathering hall.

“We were originally going to reinstall the benches, but then we realized it wasn’t practical, because we have so many activities in that room now with the summer program and after school program and all the other activities — we need that space to be more flexible,” Ms. Demeroto said. “It was a hard decision, because the benches — they’re historic, and they’re beautiful … so when they proposed the idea of this project, I thought it was a great way to honor the history of the benches, while creating something fun and innovative for the community.”

CAST — which was founded in 1965 and has supported underserved and vulnerable local populations with food, shelter, education, employment and health care support services — moved to its current home in October 2021. The main building was previously a Methodist church before becoming Southold Opera House in 2015. 

Ms. Demeroto said that this collaboration with North Fork Contemporary is a “great synergy and fit.”

“It’s just a natural extension to partner with an arts related organization, especially now since we have our own arts and culture program, which we launched two years ago,” she said. “We want to support the local artists — we often have them come perform at the events, so it’s just a natural extension of the work we do and the collaborations we have in our newest involvement in the arts community.”