Oyster Bay's Coe Hall Reopens For Member Exhibition Tours

OYSTER BAY, NY — Coe Hall reopened to members Wednesday for private exhibition tours of The Electrifying Art and Spaces of Robert Winthrop Chanler.

Tour groups will be limited to five members of the same household as Coe Hall reopens under Phase 4 of New York's reopening guidelines, the Planting Fields Foundation said. Masks will be required for all visitors inside Coe Hall and 6 feet of social distancing must always be maintained. Masks and gloves will be provided as needed and the foundation implemented other safety protocols as well amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Electrifying Art and Spaces of Robert Winthrop Chanler features decorative screens and panels from private collections throughout America, highlighting Chanler's depictions of frenzied worlds from the early 1910s to the late 1920s. Visitors will learn about his work in the context of artistic developments in America in the early 20th century, his relationship to the wealthy patrons of the Gilded Age and the preservation challenges presented by the Buffalo Mural in Coe Hall.

Originally scheduled to close July 31, the exhibition was extended two months until Sept. 30. The foundation will host a reception to celebrate the exhibition's public opening July 31. The public opening will feature the work of three composers — Amy Beach, Maurice Ravel and William Grant Still — with musical parallels to the visual element of the exhibition. The foundation will host a cocktail reception and offer guided garden tours in the evening.