As co-creator of the Off Hampton Film Festival and co-owner of Hampton Photo Arts & Framing, Ben’s got the inside scoop on who’s showing — and what’s worth seeing.

The Bus Joke That Started It All

Grant Haffner and I have been friends since childhood, though I actually met him through his sister Carly first. We were friends in elementary school, and one day on a field trip bus to New York City — probably third or fourth grade — Grant turned to me and said, Hey, why do they put fences around cemeteries?

When I asked why, he said, Because people are dying to get in. I thought it was actually a really great joke, and that Carly's brother was cooler than I thought.

Creative Partners in Crime

From there, we started hanging out constantly. We played Legos, made artwork, invented stuff, and went bike riding. We created coloring books together and built elaborate Legolands. Eventually, we formed a pop-punk band called Happycore, where he played guitar and I played bass. We'd switch off singing duties. We weren't amazing, but we weren't terrible either.

We got a cease and desist letter from a record label because we were using another band's name, so we changed it to 1609 — some inside joke from high school that could mean either something good or bad. I can't remember anymore.

The Artist Emerges

Grant's a painter now, creating abstract works with bright colors and negative space. He removes any human quality from landscapes except for power lines. He started showing at Silas Marder's Gallery, and we had shows throughout our lives at Ashawagh Hall in the Springs.

Now he's in Pennsylvania with two kids, still making art. He's part of a gallery in the city. He sells some prints here at our shop, some on our website, and a bunch on his own.

Contact

🌐Grant Haffner

About

Cristen Motty and Ben McHugh co-own Hampton Photo Arts & Framing, the artist-centric framing, printing, and archival center that's served the East End's creative community since 1989. Cristen and Ben run the Southampton shop as fellow artists who've exhibited in local galleries, participated in art collectives, and co-created the Off Hampton Film Festival.

Lead-in Image

Road Trip 1 by Grant Haffner; prints sold at Hampton Photo Arts