NEW YORK, NY.- Artsy, in partnership with Hollis Taggart Gallery, will present an auction of two significant paintings by Dusti Bongé (1903–1993), in support of LongHouse Reserve.

During her remarkable seven-decade career, Bongé, a native of Biloxi, Mississippi, connected the vibrant art community of her home with that of New Orleans and New York City.

Bongé was one of the pioneering women artists represented by Betty Parsons Gallery—alongside Judith Godwin, Perle Fine, Agnes Martin, and Hedda Sterne—and had her first solo exhibition at the gallery in 1956. This solidified Bongé’s position in the art world, putting her among the ranks of other iconic artists represented by Parsons, including Jackson Pollock, Robert Rauschenberg, Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, and Clyfford Still.

A single mother who resided and worked outside the New York art scene while raising her son in Biloxi, Bongé broke boundaries and challenged industry stereotypes, forging a singular path to success. Her paintings fuse the influences of the New York School with colors and forms inspired by the Gulf Coast.

In 2021, New York–based Hollis Taggart Gallery began representing the artist’s estate and mounted the first major exhibition of her work the following year, which examined Bongé’s close personal and professional ties with her legendary gallerist, Parsons. Since then, interest in Bongé’s work has grown significantly, and she is now getting her rightful due in the narrative of modern art history.

The estate of Dusti Bongé, overseen by Hollis Taggart Gallery, will generously donate a portion of the proceeds from this auction to LongHouse Reserve, a 16-acre sculpture garden located in East Hampton, New York. Founded by Jack Lenor Larsen (1927–2020), LongHouse exemplifies living with art and design in all forms. Its collections, gardens, sculptures, and programs reflect world cultures and foster a creative life.

In addition, both works—Mother and Child I (1944) and Untitled (White, Tan, Red and Black Abstract) (1954)—will go on view to the public during business hours:

• August 15–18: Hollis Taggart Gallery, 521 West 26th Street, New York, NY

• August 23–25: LongHouse Reserve, 133 Hands Creek Road, East Hampton, NY

LongHouse Reserve will also host a special event for the auction on August 24th from 5-7 PM where distinguished art historian Jason Rosenfeld will speak on the significance of Dusti Bongé in the context of her relationship with Betty Parsons and other important artists who practiced on the East End of Long Island in the 1950s and 60s.