What do you do with 16 enormous, 125-year-old church pews that have outlived their usefulness?
The question, raised the practical and nostalgic dilemma facing the Center for Advocacy, Support & Transformation (CAST), an organization that serves low-income individuals and families, needed more flexible space in the former 19th Century Methodist Church that is their home. They concluded the handsome but cumbersome pews had to go. Then, along came North Fork Contemporary (NFC), a new arts organization with a mission to create collaborative art happenings and art experiences on Long Island's East End hamlets and towns. NFC put out a call to artists, artisans, craftspersons, and anyone with a flight of fancy, for ideas and drawing plans for upcycling the old pews. Thirteen selected artists will actualize their designs – Hideaki Ariizumi, Brad Ascalon, Glynis Berry, Scott Bluedorn, Christian Demchak, Garance, Jay Hodges, Larissa Killough, Joyce Orrigo, Will Paulson, Verona Penalba, Adam Straus and Allan Wexler. The completed transformed pews will be sold at a public reception and auction at CAST’s Treiber Hall on Saturday, April 13, 2024. Barry Bergdoll, Professor of Art History at Columbia University, and former Architecture Curator at the Museum of Modern Art will serve as auctioneer.

Financial support for the project comes from North Fork Side by Side, Peconic Green Growth and private contributors. CAST, NFC and contributing artists will share the proceeds from the sale.