Christine Mack has a knack for transforming art from private passion to public catalyst. Born in the Philippines and raised in Sweden, she has made it her mission to bring artists to her adopted hometown of New York so that they can benefit from the frenetic creative energy the city has to offer.
This summer, Mack’s collection will touch down in a considerably slower-paced environment: the Southampton Arts Center. The exhibition of her holdings, “Beyond the Present: Collecting for the Future,” opens July 26 and presents work by 71 artists ranging from blue-chip stalwarts Rashid Johnson and Cindy Sherman to rising stars like Ana Benaroya and Woody De Othello.
The show also includes works by the 12 artists who have participated in a residency at the Mack Art Foundation’s Greenpoint space. Mack, who also has a home in the Hamptons, trained her eye as a designer and serves on various councils for the Studio Museum and the Guggenheim, among other institutions. It’s all proof that, for her, collecting is as much about giving as it is about acquiring.
CULTURED: As you prepare to unveil the show at the Southampton Arts Center, what excites you most about sharing your collection in this way?
Christine Mack: It’s a great opportunity for me to talk about what I do and how important it is to support artists. When the Center gave me the chance to show my collection, I started thinking, You know what? This is amazing. It’s such a special platform for me to highlight the artists I care about, especially my residency artists and other young talents, who I feel are incredibly gifted.
CULTURED: What projects are capturing your imagination in the Hamptons right now?
Mack: I’ve been going to the Hamptons since I was a teenager. I love the Church in Sag Harbor, and, of course, the Parrish Art Museum. I’m always interested in what happens in the off-season: the community projects, the fundraising, the way they engage different groups. That’s what’s so interesting to me, the layers of the community itself.
I’m also really eager to start a residency in the Hamptons. There’s something special about Montauk in particular. I’d love to bring artists here, especially those who aren’t from the United States, so they can discover the incredible light that artists have been drawn to for so many years.
CULTURED: You’ve poured a great deal of energy into building community in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, alongside your work in the Hamptons. What do you envision as the next step for you in this journey?
Mack: I just want to give people opportunities. I came to New York when I was 18, and I fulfilled my dream. It’s so amazing to have a residency in New York. As an artist, it’s the best place in the world to be—the people, the exhibitions, the museum shows, the curators, the galleries. I had no idea what I was doing when I set out to start a foundation. I don’t even come from the art world, but you can figure it out! You can get the information, ask people questions, and create something impactful.
in your life?
