Arts Community Mourns Ruth Appelhof, 81

Ruth Appelhof, who served for 17 years as the executive director of Guild Hall in East Hampton until stepping down in 2016, died at her home in Springs last Thursday, April 2, after a long battle with leukemia. She was 81.

In her final years Ms. Appelhof had been working on the book “Lee & Me: An Intimate Portrait of Lee Krasner” — a project she managed to complete. It will be issued by the Officina Libraria publishing house on May 19.

According to a statement released by Guild Hall, Ms. Appelhof’s “meaningful contributions to the institution, including the renovation completed in 2010, reverberate today. She loved Guild Hall with every fiber of her being, and she happily worked and greeted visitors, often seven days a week.”

Ms. Appelhof earned a Ph.D. from Syracuse University, having written her dissertation on American Modernism. Her museum career began at the Whitney Museum of American Art, where she was a Helena Rubenstein Fellow. She went on to direct museums across the country. She was the chief curator of the Lowe Art Gallery at Syracuse University, followed by the Birmingham (Alabama) Museum, where she was instrumental in developing an important contemporary art collection, as well as one of the most comprehensive holdings in photography in the South.

As a professor at the State University of New York in Auburn and then at Syracuse University, Ms. Appelhof taught art history, museum management, curatorial methodology, and collections development at undergraduate and graduate levels.

After leaving Guild Hall, in 2017, she was a visiting scholar at the American Academy in Rome, and from 2017 to 2019, she was a Fellow at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in Springs.

Ms. Appelhof lived in Springs with her husband of 22 years, Gary Adamek.

In the days since her death, tributes have been pouring in, including from those who were friends and colleagues of Ms. Appelhof, sometimes both.

“In our 16 years together, I learned a lot from her — a lot about resiliency, tenacity, good humor in the face of ongoing challenge,” said Josh Gladstone, the Guild Hall artistic director. “I learned about diplomacy from her, and a lot about how to be an arts professional. She taught me about leadership and about loyalty, and while it’s true that we didn’t always see eye to eye, she was always kind to me and to all of her beloved staff. She invited us to her home, she encouraged us to excel, and she was tireless in your devotion to Guild Hall.”

“When I took over the Guild Hall leadership from Ruth, she offered her unconditional support and told me, ‘This is the best job anyone could have,’” recalled Andrea Grover, the present Guild Hall executive director. “It was evident that her heart and soul were tied enduringly to this institution.”

According to Christina Strassfield, the chief curator and museum director at Guild Hall, Ms. Appelhof’s commitment to Guild Hall and the staff was palpable: “Ruth would often ask questions that she knew the answer to but wanted to hear everyone’s opinion before deciding which way she needed to proceed in the best interest of Guild Hall.

“I remember early on, she said that her job was the best job that she ever had. I think she felt that till the very end. She loved being at Guild Hall, loved the museum, theater and education. Ruth cared about the artists in our community and tried to get them involved in whatever way she could think of.” 

Two of those artists are April Gornik and Eric Fischl of North Haven. The latter is president of Guild Hall’s Academy of the Arts, which in 2016, upon Ms. Appelhof’s retirement, bestowed on her a Lifetime Achievement Award.

In her presentation remarks, the actress Sara Jessica Parker stated, “Ruth Appelhof has done so much for the East End that she should be named Permanent Cultural Ambassador for Life.”

“Ruth was not only a dynamic, generous, and balanced leader of Guild Hall but also someone who maintained a sense of humor throughout her challenges, with an easy laugh and a bright smile,” said Ms. Gornik.

“She was a pure appreciator of art. I remember asking her, after she stopped directing Guild Hall, what her plans were, and, never one to be idle, she immediately told me about her proposed book ‘Lee & Me,’ which she’d begun years earlier but had no time to finish, which she was eager to return to and, thankfully, able to complete.”

Circumstances have forced burial arrangements to be delayed. The statement from Guild Hall concluded, “We will determine a beautiful way to honor Ruth and celebrate her forthcoming book. She was scheduled to present a related talk this summer at the John Drew Theater as part of the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center Lecture Series. Guild Hall will reopen and celebrate Ruth Appelhof’s remarkable life and legacy soon.”