A Montauk upstart that left a huge impression last August and September, 484 Gallery, is returning for a longer and more exciting summer of art this year in a new space, also at Gosman’s Dock on West Lake Drive.
“Last August and September, the opening was beyond my expectation. I did virtually no promotion myself because I was too busy cleaning out a retail space, setting up a business, incorporating it and doing all of that in two weeks,” 484 Gallery owner and artist Dalton Portella says, explaining how he opened in 2023 in order to create a space to show his work and that of his friends and colleagues. “Hundreds of people came out to the opening and they weren’t just looking, there were people buying and it was incredibly rewarding,” he adds, emphasizing the community’s enthusiasm toward a good art exhibition.
“I invited 30 of my friends — artists I knew and liked, and respected — to help me open it up and we did it all in two weeks. … It was a last-minute, short thing, but it was so successful that I had the opportunity to do it again and I’m jumping on it,” Portella says, recalling last year’s show. This summer, 484 Gallery’s first exhibition runs from May 24–June 9 and will be followed by three more before closing for the fall on September 15.
For the debut summer show, which Portella calls Season 2: Episode 1: I know What You Did Last Winter, the gallery has a strong list of participants including John Britton, Scott Bluedorn, Francisco Daniel Cabrera, Ceeps, Connie Cortese, Idoline Duke, Liam Duppy, James Graham, Kara Hoblin, James Katsipis (who’s just opened his own Montauk photo gallery), fellow gallerist Christopher Lucore with Haim Mizrahi, Chuck Manion, Jane Martin, Paton Miller, John Pomianowski, Peter Spacek, Alicia Suarez, Aurelio Torres, Nick Weber, Izlin Weinberg and Mark Wilson, plus Portella’s own striking paintings, and possibly a few others.
“This first show, I invited all the artists who helped make the first season as successful as it was. I invited all of them back. There’s a lot of artists out here, and I wish I could show them all, but I can’t,” Portella says, describing one of the things that makes him uncomfortable about running his own gallery after decades of showing in other people’s rooms.
“It’s a double-edged sword. It was so rewarding to bring all these people together and then to be able to sell my friends’ art and artists that I like and respect. And now, being on the gallery side of it, I understand everything that that entails, and seeing the hunger in an artist’s eyes when they walk into the gallery, like, ‘Can you show me? Can you show me?’ and the worst part of it is having to reject somebody. That’s not a great feeling,” he adds
“There was a gallerist named Ivan Karp who had OK Harris in New York City, and he was always willing to look at your work. And so I showed him slides of my work when that was how we showed work. He gave me some really positive feedback — didn’t give me a show, but I walked out of there feeling good,” Portella recalls. “I want to adopt his philosophy and his method of constructive input.”
After that, things remain a little up in the air according to Portella, who has three more exhibitions to plan. “I haven’t locked in exactly what shows they are going to be, but since I haven’t made a decision yet, I think I’m probably going to do a show of my stuff because I know what I have, and then for the third show possibly an abstract show,” he says.
For the last show of the season, The End, Portella is working with artist Mark Wilson who makes stunning abstractions of paintings by masters like William Merritt Chase. “He’s got his hands on some beautiful pieces by some other artists. I think we might have a Warhol that’s going in the show. We’re in the planning stages right now,” he says, noting that coming up with show themes isn’t his strong suit.
“It’s not something I’ve been comfortable with, but this whole thing is taking me out of my comfort zone, so I think I might have to start coming up with themes,” Portella says of his evolving role behind the proverbial gallery desk. And if his skill as a gallerist comes close to matching his skill as an artist, 484 Gallery had a bright future indeed.
484 Gallery is located at 484 West Lake Drive at Gosman’s Dock in Montauk. Call 917-873-6409 or visit 484gallery.com for more info.