The Artful Life: 5 Things Galerie Editors Love This Week

1. The Portrait Bar at The Fifth Avenue Hotel Launches a Special Summer Menu 

The Long Island Rail Road, affectionately known as the LIRR, holds a special mythology in New York, especially during the summer. Manhattanites looking to escape the heat can choose from a variety of lines to be whisked off the island, beneath the East River, and off to breezier destinations. Chef Andrew Carmellini looked to these very rails to shape a special summer menu at The Fifth Avenue Hotel’s Portrait Bar. Special snacks include Peconic Gold oysters on the half shell, fluke ceviche, and a classic lobster roll while cocktails reflect their destinations. The Oyster Bay Branch is a spiffed up gin and tonic while the Long Beach Branch is fruity beer shandy with pineapple rum and watermelon. Elsewhere in the hotel, exciting new culinary experiences draw from the same love of imaginative storytelling including a super intimate two-seat bar perched above Café Carmellini called Behind the Curtain as well as special event venues such as The Vault, a moody brick cavern for sampling from the hotel’s 15,000 bottles of wine  and the luminous Grand Salon for elegant, Gilded Age-inspired soirees. –Jacqueline Terrebonne

2. Frampton & Co.’s Exhibition The Barn Hosts August Salon Featuring Liaigre

The East End is no stranger to immersive art spaces and galleries displaying an inspired assortment of collectible design. Helmed by Frampton Co founder Elena Frampton, Exhibition The Barn in Bridgehampton has proven a standout with unique installations that combine contemporary furniture and decorative accents with vintage pieces and stellar artworks. Opening August 1, the space welcomes an exhibition featuring highlights from Liaigre, however, the presentation is curated for more than just shopping. Visitors to the space will also encounter intimate salon-style gatherings with thoughtfully organized guest lists, dynamic cocktail receptions, engaging lunches with the design community, and more, all crafted to emphasize Liaigre’s timeless style and celebrate craftsmanship. The show runs through August 25.—Jill Sieracki

3. Vincent Van Duysen Debuts First Wallcovering Collection with Sutherland

A master in crafting spaces which bring elegance to new heights, acclaimed architect and interior designer Vincent Van Duysen has added yet another accomplishment to his already impressive résumé. Launching this August, the Galerie Creative Mind unveils his latest collaboration with Sutherland, where a lineup of new pieces including six additional Perennials fabrics and four rugs follow the success of the designer and brand’s 2021 collaboration, as well as set the tone for the talent’s debut into wallcoverings. As part of the collection, six dreamy designs by Duysen encompass his notable eye for quiet luxury, where the different patterns and color palettes are sure to please any aesthetic. “Each design in the collection expresses a different facet of that vision—playing with rhythm, structure, and materiality in a way that feels both intimate and architectural,” Duysen says about the collection.—Shelby Black

4. Porsche Design Celebrates 50 Years of Chronograph I with Starry Reissue 

Last week, a procession of vintage Porsches were parked on Greene Street outside the packed SoHo flagship of Watches of Switzerland. There, new Porsche ambassador Orlando Bloom mingled with collectors, tastemakers, and the glitterati as Porsche Design celebrated the 50th anniversary of its pioneering Chronograph I. The occasion centered on the debut of the Chronograph 1 – 1975 Limited Edition, a striking reinterpretation of the original model in uncoated titanium—its first use outside a limited-edition Porsche sports car. Limited to 350 pieces, the flyback chronograph features Porsche Design’s in-house WERK 01.240 caliber, a matte-black dial with bold white indices, and a red stop-seconds hand inspired by the dashboard of the Porsche 911. The timepiece comes with subtle updates like a tipped minute hand and dual-language date display to enhance legibility. The launch also kicks off the iconic brand’s new U.S. retail partnership with the Watches of Switzerland Group. —Ryan Waddoups

5. Newport Art Museum and Gardiner House Revisit Legacy of Gilded Age Artist Howard Gardiner Cushing

A landmark exhibition celebrating the life and work of Gilded Age artist Howard Gardiner Cushing is now on view at Newport Art Museum. As a resident of Newport, Cushing was an early member of the Newport Art Association—which today is the museum—and is described as one of the region’s most influential but often overlooked artist. The exhibition, titled “Howard Gardiner Cushing: A Harmony of Line and Color,” features work that hasn’t been seen in over 50 years, or in some cases since the artist’s death. Many of his works remained in his family, with the current exhibition marking the first time many of them have been brought back to Newport. To celebrate, the nearby Gardiner House, which is currently owned by the artist’s great-grandson, is offering guests complimentary tickets to the exhibition. The seaside hotel, which draws inspiration from The Ledges, Cushing’s familial home, features a recreation of a c. 1905 mural that once covered the interior walls. The hotel’s signature restaurant, Flora, features a striking portrait of it’s namesake, Flora Payne Whitney, painted by Cushing. The exhibition is on view now through Dec. 31.—Alexandria Sillo