A Special Dinner at the John Chamberlain Estate on Shelter Island

In anticipation of the upcoming centennial of sculptor John Chamberlain's birth in 1927, a select group of guests from the art, design, and fashion industries, including Sophia Coppola, Thomas Mars, Athena Calderone, Gucci Westman, and Natalie Massenet, were treated to a rare experience: an evening within the private exhibition space of Chamberlain's Estate on Shelter Island.

This exclusive gathering, preceding an upcoming exhibition and sale of Chamberlain's works at Sotheby's, was a cocktail hour and dinner hosted by Kristina O'Neill, Sotheby's head of media. She was joined by Chamberlain's widow, Prudence Fairweather, his stepdaughter, Alexandra Fairweather, and Liza Laserow and Fabian Berglund, founders of Nordic Knots.

The event, the first of its kind in this unique venue, was thoughtfully curated to reflect Chamberlain's artistic and personal heritage. The wooden chairs gracing the dining table were once part of Chamberlain's Shelter Island Heights restaurant from the 1990s, aptly named Chamberlain's. The meal itself, featuring generous family-style servings of summer corn salad, grilled chicken and shrimp, and peach and cream pie, echoed his renowned hospitable and relaxed hosting style.

The evening held particular significance for the Fairweather family, who took ownership of the property that was so dear to Chamberlain just three months after his passing in 2011. The exhibition hall is situated in a converted stable, a place where Alexandra once rode horses. Kristina O'Neill commented on the setting, noting, "The scale of this exhibition space allows these monumental sculptures to breathe, but it’s also incredibly intimate. The collection feels alive in a way that’s very difficult to replicate in a museum or gallery."

Following a viewing of the exhibition, guests enjoyed dinner at a long, softly illuminated table surrounded by Chamberlain's striking sculptures crafted from crumpled aluminum and plexiglass. These pieces were carefully selected and arranged for the occasion by Prudence and Alexandra. Underfoot, a collection of Nordic Knots rugs in pale pink, gold, and silver hues complemented the impressive sculptures above.

Alexandra shared Chamberlain's ideal party scenario with Vogue: "everyone laughing until late and then falling asleep right there on the couch in the barn," gesturing towards a substantial piece of furniture. She added, "And knowing him, somewhere around midnight, he’d have talked the whole table into a swim off the dock."

Instead, guests were encouraged to relax on the aforementioned carved foam couch, which Chamberlain constructed in his SoHo loft when he couldn't afford to buy furniture. Alexandra explained that the hope when people sit on this sofa is that "some of his nerve rubs off," a sentiment that inspired the interview video series, On the Couch.

Kristina O'Neill highlighted Chamberlain's "almost mythical" presence on Shelter Island. While some local attendees had visited his nearby studio, many expressed a long-held curiosity about his estate and the contents of the stable.

As the saying goes, what is seldom seen is often wonderful.