Seligmann Farm – Orange County Citizens Foundation Offices and Gallery

Surrealist artist Kurt Seligmann saw the world from a different perspective, and the renovation of his homestead focused on the preservation of that vision. This sprawling 55-acre estate includes the artist’s home, the building that served as his studio/gallery and the dairy barn he often painted in.

A lot of the site’s energy came from the legacy of Seligmann himself, as well as fellow artists like Gérard Deschamps and Salvador Dali, who were often guests on the property. In that spirit, Joe brought in his own team of long-time collaborators, landscape architect Steven Esposito, architect Chris DeHaan and engineer Gerry Hluchan. The chief goal was to preserve and maintain the homestead, respecting the wishes of Seligmann’s wife, Arlette.

The studio has been fully restored and houses numerous examples of Seligman’s work, but it is the dairy barn—split into the foundation’s office suite on the lower level and an event studio and artist’s gallery above—that draws the eye. Featuring the dramatic incorporation of a curtain wall of windows and exposed beams and trusses, the gallery fulfills and preserves the spirit of an artist known for his unique eye and use of space.

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