The Nature Conservancy in New York - Long Island: Andy Warhol Visual Arts Preserve

Andy Warhol Visual Arts Preserve © Laura Lynch/TNC

The Andy Warhol Visual Arts preserve is a vital part of the Montauk Moorlands habitat.

Visitor Information

While the Warhol preserve is not open to for visitation, the Conservancy sponsors four or more visual arts programs at the Preserve each year. Find out more about the programs.

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The spectacular 15.1-acre ocean-front preserve--part of a 2,400-acre protected area in Montauk--was donated to The Nature Conservancy in 1992 by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

"It's a beautiful, fragile part of Montauk," Mr. Archibald L. Gillies, president of the Andy Warhol Foundation said. "It has the most extraordinary range of wildlife. It seemed to us to make much the most sense to preserve it."

Location: Montauk, Suffolk County

Size: 15.1 acres

What to See: Animals
The Warhol Preserve's strategic location in the Atlantic flyway makes it an important feeding ground and stop-over site for neotropical, migrating birds. The preserve is also home to some rare animals, including the eastern newt, spotted turtle, blue spotted salamander, eastern hognose snake, and the bog copper butterfly.

What to See: Plants
The Montauk Moorlands are made up of maritime tall shrublands and forests. This landscape is dominated by shadbush and other tree species, including American holly, sassafras, some red maple and black oak. The trees at the beginning of the trail are fairly tall, but they become shorter as they get closer to the ocean, where the treetops are pruned constantly by the ocean's salty breezes. Tree species also change nearer the shore: bayberry, high bush blueberry and sweet pepperbush are found in the wetter areas.

The Visual Arts Program:
Under an agreement with the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, The Nature Conservancy sponsors four or more visual arts programs at the Preserve each year. Foundation support is provided to help offset program costs.

The Andy Warhol Visual Arts Committee plays an important role in organizing these workshops, providing a necessary link to the educational and artistic communities and insuring top quality instruction. The Committee is comprised of artists, educators, and Conservancy staff. An organizational meeting is held early in the year to develop a program of events.

For more information about the program, please contact The Center for Conservation at (631) 329-7689.

Program Examples:

Adult landscape painting/drawing workshops led by local artists including John Alexander, Lauren Jarrett and Casimir Rutkowski, and a solar printmaking class led by Dan Weldon.
A week-long artist-in-residence program (.pdf, 3.58mb) with Conservancy housing provided. During that time, the artist hosts a workshop with local school students. Past workshops have ranged from producing “found” art projects left at the Preserve to landscape painting. Past artists in residence include: Jen Ferguson. Marin Hassinger, Don Lipski, Al Loving, Dino Pelliccia, and Ellen Rothenberg.
Classes and programs for local school children including: a multimedia poetry and photography class with students from Springs School with Ken Robbins, a landscape painting class for students from Amagansett School with Jen Ferguson, an "Art Safari" with artist Joyce Raimondo for students from the Montauk School, a two day workshop with Don Lipski for the East Hampton High School Arts Club, and a workshop with Ellen Rothenberg for students from the Bridgehampton School
A yearly photography workshop sponsored by the D'Amico Institute of Art, led by Rameshwar Das.