“We have long operated with a program of changing exhibitions, which presents a challenge for long-term planning of school and group visits,” says Cara Conklin-Wingfield, the director of education. With the allocation of space to the permanent collection, “we will have a great opportunity to complete the mission connected with the East End of Long Island.”
New construction also allows for state-of-the-art climate control throughout the museum as well as a proper loading dock. On a recent rainy visit to the existing Parrish, the quirkiness of the current dock was noticeable—and confounding. A truck was backed up to the staff entrance door with a ramp connecting it to the museum. As art handlers unloaded crates, entering the museum required resourcefulness, ducking under a fire escape and squeezing between the ramp and a wall. Longtime chief curator Alicia Longwell calls the arrangement “make-shift,” admitting it will be easier when they move. “We have a beautiful building here,” she says, smiling. “Now we will have a beautiful building minus the 19th-century details and architecture.”
Sultan observes that the first questions she is asked at the site often have to do with traffic and parking, two local obsessions. She assures that they are widening Montauk Highway so a turn lane can be added and travelers coming from the west can pull into the museum without contributing to congestion. Behind the facility will be a 200-car parking lot. Hoping that the Parrish becomes a full-on destination, Sultan is taking a number of steps to keep visitors occupied during their visit. The plans include a café, outdoor seating, a museum shop and welcoming benches running along the north and south terraces. “We are really imagining that once you get here, you won’t want to leave,” says Sultan. “We are encouraging people to come and stay.”
