Art exhibit

Soldiers and Sailors Building

The Huntington Historical Society invites the community to an opening reception for its newest exhibit titled Holiday House Tour in Miniature: Dollhouses from 1920 to 2020 at the Huntington History & Decorative Arts Museum in the Soldiers and Sailors Building, 228 Main St., Huntington on Sunday, Dec. 5 from 3 to 5 p.m. Also on view is an exhibit titled Remembering a Huntington Hero: Peter H. Fleury. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 631-351-3244.

'Avalon Reflection' by Joanne Liff

Save the date! Studio 268, 268 Main St. Setauket will host an art show in December featuring a collection of fine art by local artists. This new body of work was completed in the summer and autumn of 2021 and presents the varied interests and applications of artists working both in plein air and in the studio.

The public is invited to view these beautiful pieces (which are available for purchase) at an opening reception on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. or on Sundays, Dec. 5, 12 and 19 from noon to 5 p.m. Proceeds from an art raffle and a percentage from art sales will be donated to The Three Village Central School District food pantries.

For more information, call 631-220-4529.

By Tara Mae

Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum’s new exhibit, Alva Belmont: Socialite to Suffragist, traces Alva Vanderbilt Belmont’s evolution from Alabama belle to New York suffragist. 

Originally planned for 2020 as a centennial celebration of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, it is on display in the Vanderbilt Mansion’s Lancaster Room on the first floor and offers an overview of Alva’s life while highlighting her fervent support for the women’s suffrage movement. 

“Alva Vanderbilt Belmont was the mother of William K. Vanderbilt II, who built the estate, mansion, and museum,” said Executive Director Elizabeth Wayland-Morgan. Alva’s first husband, William II’s father, was the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt, a business tycoon who amassed his wealth through railroads and shipping. 

From a prominent Southern family, Alva brought her own money and social standing into the marriage and later used her position to fight for women’s rights. 

“As a Southern socialite, she became an unexpected champion of women’s rights. Alva gave important support and funding to the National American Woman Suffrage Association and several women’s suffrage groups in the U.S. and the United Kingdom,” Wayland-Morgan added. “Alva was in a position of considerable power, influence, and social connections. For such a woman in any era to take up the fight for the rights of all women was startling. I wanted to know more about her extraordinary life.”

The exhibit is set up in five sections: Early Life, First Foray, Marble House, The National Woman’s Party, and Later Life. 

“Each section represents a pivotal moment in Alva’s life that shows how she became involved in the suffragist movement over time,” explained Archives and Records Manager Killian Taylor during a recent tour.

Primary sources and artifacts, including newspaper articles and “Votes for Women” plates commissioned by Alva, are on display and the Estate of Nan Guzzetta loaned 13 replicas of historic suffragist outfits to set the stage. The focal point of the exhibit is the photographs that adorn the walls. 

Images are included from the museum’s collection, the Library of Congress, and the National Woman’s Party, as well as loaned from the Southampton History Museum. Port Jefferson Village historian Chris Ryon also provided prints. A video installation, sponsored by Bank of America, chronicles her life.

“It is primarily a photo-based exhibit; Alva’s life through photos. Alva was savvy about using the media to her advantage” said Taylor.

Featuring pictures of Alva’s private and public lives, photos depict Alva with her children, at her homes, such as Marble House in Rhode Island (site of her “Conference of Great Women”), and with her fellow suffragists, among them Alice Paul and Lucy Burns.  

Taylor’s favorite images pertain to Alva’s work with the suffrage movement. 

“The first is a photo of Alva, Alice Paul, and a number of members of the National Woman’s Party; everyone is centered around Alva, who is sitting at a desk that belonged to Susan B. Anthony. The second is a photo of Alva’s funeral in 1933; the mausoleum is a replica of one designed by da Vinci. Alva’s pallbearers were all women and her casket flanked by members of National Woman’s Party,” he said.  

Recognizing the influence of her social capital, Alva leveraged it for promoting women’s suffrage. Any event, even her own funeral, could be used for publicity. 

“One of Alva’s strong points was that she was very, very good at using the press, so when she became heavily involved in the movement she made sure that she got in the papers,” Taylor said.  

Alva joined the National American Woman Suffrage Association circa 1909, following the death of her second husband, Oliver Belmont, and quickly put to good use the connections she had initially fostered while married to her first husband, William Kissam Vanderbilt.  

Alva networked, hosted events, organized, founded the Political Equality Union of New York to elect candidates who supported women’s suffrage, created a new national press bureau, worked the press, and with Paul even arranged the first picket protest to be held outside the White House. 

As a leader of women’s suffrage, Alva was advocating for women to have power beyond what was allocated to them by the men in their lives. Before women had the right to vote, their primary access to power was through their husbands (or fathers.) 

And so, prior to her participation in the women’s suffrage movement, Alva sought authority through the means most available to her: making a socially and economically suitable marriage for herself. Alva understood the importance of a “good match,” as Taylor noted, and with William K. Vanderbilt, she made one.

“Their marriage was pragmatic; it was not a love match,” he added. “For an American woman who wanted independence during the 19th century, the option was to marry rich.” 

William was certainly rich; he was part of the wealthiest family in the country. He and Alva had three children: Consuelo, William, and Harold. 

Alva divorced William Sr. for having an affair, at the time an uncommon response to such behavior. 

“She is the one who suffered the backlash,” Taylor said. Still, she emerged with several of their estates and a financial settlement reportedly in the range of $10 million. 

Her second marriage, to Oliver Belmont, was by all accounts a happier union. In 1908, her husband died of appendicitis and Alva fell into a depression. To cope, she immersed herself in charitable works and causes, which led her to the women’s suffrage movement. 

“At Consuelo’s urging, she attended a suffrage event in the United Kingdom and that lit the spark,” Taylor said. 

Consuelo was involved in the women’s suffrage movement in England, and the two pooled their resources and clout for women’s suffrage in the United States. They had reconciled after a rift caused years earlier by Alva’s machinations in arranging Consuelo’s marriage.

She selected Charles Spencer-Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, as Consuelo’s husband. Alva apparently saw the union as an opportunity for further upward mobility and international social standing. Consuelo refused to wed him, wanting instead to elope with her secret fiancé, Winthrop Rutherford. 

In retaliation, Alva had her locked in her room and threatened to shoot Rutherford. “Alva was very strong-willed,” Taylor said. Consuelo continued to resist until Alva emotionally blackmailed her into compliance, feigning she was dying of a heart ailment to get her then seventeen year old daughter to acquiesce. On the day of the wedding, while Consuelo reputedly wept behind her veil, Alva appeared to have made an immediate and full recovery. 

A little over a decade into the marriage, Consuelo and Charles separated. They later divorced and sought an annulment, with Alva’s full support. During the process, Alva told an investigator “I forced my daughter to marry the duke.”

The common goal of women’s suffrage helped heal the once frayed relationship between the two women, and as Consuelo worked abroad, Alva, with the National Woman’s Party, sought a constitutional amendment to guarantee women the right to vote in the United States. 

Victory came in 1920 with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Alva then moved to France to be near Consuelo. She died there in 1933 and is interred in the Belmont Mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx. 

“The museum is proud of Alva’s national leadership role as a champion of women’s rights, as was her family. Her success in the suffrage movement and in securing the right of women to vote is a significant, pivotal chapter in American history,” Wayland-Morgan said. 

The Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport presents Alva Belmont: Socialite to Suffragist through mid-January 2022. Tickets to the museum are $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, $9 for students with ID, and $7 for children age 12 and younger) Children under the age of two are free. Current hours for the museum, mansion and planetarium are Friday to Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 631-854-5579 or visit www.vanderbiltmuseum.org.

By Cayla Rosenhagen

Cayla Rosenhagen

In the words of Patty Yantz, the Setauket Artists “are a group of people who see the beauty in the Long Island area and celebrate it through their artwork.” At their 41st annual art exhibition at the Neighborhood House in Setauket, they encourage the public to come celebrate with them.

I visited the show on Oct. 24, the grand opening of the exhibit. From the moment I walked through the door, I was captivated by the beauty of the artwork that filled every room. Members of the Setauket Artists gathered around to take in each other’s masterpieces and mingle with their fellow painters. The art that adorned the house ranged from landscapes to still lifes to portraits and each one displayed the artists’ mastery of color, form, and line.

I was instantly immersed in the joyful, artsy energy that emanated from both paintings and painters. It was inspirational to witness the sheer artistic talent of our community, and to meet some of the local artists themselves.

To kick off the grand opening of the show, the guests were ushered into the Neighborhood House’s ballroom where administrators of the organization made a speech in gratitude to long-time benefactor Fred Bryant of Bryant Funeral Homes, and their president and curator, Irene Ruddock. They also praised Patty Yantz, the honored artist of the show.

A high school art teacher for 34 years, Patty Yantz has belonged to the Setauket Artists group for about 16 years. She was selected as the honored artist for the exhibit because of her “brave contribution (of artwork) to the show.” Some of her works in the exhibit include “Sundown Serenity” and “Mystical Meadow,” both landscape paintings which utilize vibrant colors and leading lines that draw the observer right into the picturesque settings.

Later that day, I spoke with Robert Roehrig, vice president of the Setauket Artists, whose work is also featured at the exhibit. His life-like oil paintings on display depict the historic charm and natural splendor of the nearby Frank Melville Memorial Park in winter. He started painting with oils 15 years ago and his paintings are inspired by “the beauty of nature, interesting buildings, and light and shadow.”

The Setauket Artists was founded by Flo Kemp four decades ago as a community for artists in the Setauket area. Since then, it has grown to include members from all over Suffolk County. The group hosts annual spring and autumn art shows.

Their autumn exhibition will be open to the public until Nov. 14 and is welcoming guests from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. As it is a fundraising event, the artwork displayed is available for purchase and a percentage of the proceeds will go toward the Setauket Neighborhood House. If you plan to visit, please be respectful of COVID-19 guidelines and wear a mask inside the house.

Cayla Rosenhagen is a local high school student who enjoys capturing the unique charm of the community through photography and journalism. She serves on the board of directors for the Four Harbors Audubon Society and Brookhaven’s Youth Board, and is the founder and coordinator of Beach Bucket Brigade, a community outreach program dedicated to environmental awareness, engagement, and education. She is also an avid birder, hiker, and artist who is concurrently enrolled in college, pursuing a degree in teaching.

'White Table' by Myungja Anna Koh. Image from Gallery North

Deck the Halls, Gallery North’s annual group exhibition of small original works for holiday giving, returns from Nov. 12 to Dec. 19. 

‘White Table’ by Myungja Anna Koh. Image from Gallery North

Enjoy artworks by over 50 local and regional artists in a range of media, including painting, printmaking, works on paper, sculpture, glassware, and more. The exhibition offers an excellent opportunity to support local artists and local business, and features a diverse selection of affordable, exciting, original artworks for everyone on your list. 

In addition, Gallery North also features a large assortment of artisan created jewelry, handmade crafts, and decorations within the Shop at Gallery North, as well as clothing and artist-made greeting cards produced in the Studio at Gallery North. They also offer the gift of an art class or workshop to an aspiring artist, child, or adult. 

An opening reception will be held on Friday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. and will be free and open to the public.

Deck the Halls is generously sponsored by WFC Architects, Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, and DIME Bank.

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As a complement to this year’s group exhibition, Deck the Halls, Gallery North will partner with the Three Village Historical Society and WUSB 90.1 FM/107.3 FM Stony Brook, to present The Holiday Market, a series of new outdoor events held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays from Nov. 27 to Dec. 18. 

The purpose of The Holiday Market is to provide the community with an alternative to holiday shopping indoors and will offer an excellent opportunity to support local artists and businesses within a free, outdoor, safe, and socially distanced setting, complete with food by local eateries and live music by local musicians. 

Holiday shoppers will find a diverse selection of affordable, exciting, original paintings, prints, photography, ceramics, pottery, woodwork, glassware, artisan created jewelry, handmade crafts, decorations, and clothing — perfect gifts for everyone on your list. 

Gallery North is located at 90 North Country Road,  Setauket. The gallery is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.

 

The Reboli Center for Art and History in Stony Brook presents its winter holiday exhibit, “Celebrate the Season,” from Nov. 4 through Jan. 23, 2022. 

The show will feature the artwork of a variety of artists, including paintings by the late artist, Joseph Reboli, the Setauket-based artist for whom the Center is named. 

Participating artists include Mireille Bellajonas, Lucille Betti-Nash, Grainne de Buitlear, Al Candia, Donna Crinnian, Julie Doczi, David Ebner, Pamela Herbst, Tyler Hughes, Melissa Imossi, Joanne Liff, John Mansueto, Esther Marie, Jim Molloy, Dan O’Sullivan, Vicki Sawyer, Gia Schifano, Carl Siege, Jodi Stills, Angela Stratton, Mike Stanko, Ty Stroudsberg, Joseph Reboli, Doug Reina, Corinne Tousey, Hal Usher, Mary Jane van Zeijts, Marlene Weinstein, Charles Wildbank, and Patricia Yantz. 

“We are thrilled to have so many Long Island artists in the show,” said Lois Reboli, a founder of the Reboli Center.

In addition, the Reboli Center’s Design Shop will once again be the envy of Santa’s workshop as it is decorated for the holidays and filled with beautiful and handcrafted gifts for people of all ages. In the seasonally-festive shop, you will find jewelry, felted ornaments, artisan crafts, art books, children’s toys, scarves, mittens, hats, prints and more. Reboli gift certificates are also available in any denomination. Free gift wrapping is available while you enjoy the holiday spirit at the Center.

The Reboli Center is located at 64 Main Street in Stony Brook, and is open Tuesday  to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 5pm. Admission is free. For more information, please call 631-751-7707. 

Be sure to visit the Center’s website at www.ReboliCenter.org for holiday hours, pop-up shops and special events.

By Melissa Arnold

As global temperatures continue to climb, we are unfortunately subject to more natural disasters, lack of resources, and personal discomfort. It’s a harsh reality, but it can be hard for some people to grasp.

The Smithtown Township Arts Council (STAC) is tackling the issue of climate change with a dynamic and colorful exhibit called “On the Edge” at the Mills Pond Gallery in Saint James.

Beginning Nov. 6 and running through Dec. 19, “On the Edge” will feature more than 50 works from environmental artists Pam Brown and Kathy Levine. The exhibit is part of a deeper exploration of environmental concerns through the lens of art. 

“For a while now I’ve been wanting to dedicate a year to the issue of climate change and what can be done about it. We read about it and are touched by it every day, but I thought we could explore this issue through art and the beauty of our natural world,” said Allison Cruz, executive director of STAC.

Cruz met Stony Brook-based artist Pam Brown years ago through the local art community, and since then, Brown has served as a juror for several STAC exhibits. Prior to the pandemic, Brown suggested she could put together an environmental-themed exhibit with Levine, her longtime friend and colleague from New York City. 

“Pam’s environmental work makes me think, and it touches my heart. I love the choices she makes,” Cruz said. “I was so excited to see this idea take shape and to meet Kathy. When I saw [Kathy’s] passion for connecting people to the environment and the way she salvages material to create beautiful art, I was hooked.” 

Brown, who focuses on sculpture, said that she spent much of her childhood exploring the woods around her home.

“The environment has always been a topic of interest for me, and art is a barometer for what is happening in the world,” she said. “It’s hard not to be connected to the environment, and it’s a tragedy to see the loss of beauty.”

Brown works with salvaged material that she says has its own story to tell. Everything is made of sheet metal or sheet copper, then hand cut with scissors or shears, stitched, soldered and welded together.

One of her works included in the exhibit is “A Place Called Home,” which depicts a bird inside of a hanging basket on a branch. 

“The bird is calling out, looking for a new place to call home. In the same way, populations around the world are being forced to relocate because of climate changes and disasters in their places of origin,” Brown explained.

Levine is originally from Queens, but had the unique opportunity to grow up in Spain and England, where she was constantly immersed in natural beauty.

At the same time, she was impacted by the energy crisis of the 1970s. Her electricity was cut in the evenings, leaving her to do homework by candlelight.

“I saw the way humans were able to work in harmony with the natural world and have the potential to make it even better,” she recalled, “But I also began to learn just how fragile our connection to the natural world can be, and that our impact can be positive or negative.”

Levine is a mixed media artist, including painting, photography and recycled materials in her work, to name a few. She also makes recycled paper casts of natural objects including leaves and bark, and uses a water-based method of photo transfer. 

One of Levine’s pieces, “Rift,” is a cast paper cross-section of a tree that’s split in half. One half depicts the urban sights of New York, while the other side shows a woodsy and natural scene.

“This kind of work fascinates me. It’s the one thing I feel like I could never get tired of,” Levine said. “It’s inexpensive and tactile, flexible and light, as opposed to other methods of sculpture.” 

While the exhibit will showcase the beauty of our world, Cruz, Brown and Levine all hope that it will inspire viewers to become more active in preventing climate change.

“It can be overwhelming to consider just how large the issue of climate change is, but it’s small changes in your own family that make a big difference, like recycling, composting and using reusable materials as much as possible,” Brown said. 

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The Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, Saint James will present “On the Edge” from Nov. 6 through Dec. 19. The public is invited to an opening reception on Nov. 6 from 2 to 5 p.m. Meet the artists and enjoy an Art Talk presented by the Artists and Environmental Art Activists at 3 pm. Masks are required for unvaccinated individuals and optional for those who are vaccinated. 

Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free. Please use the rear parking lot off of Mills Pond Road. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

See more images at www.tbrnewsmedia.com

The Art League of Long Island, 107 E. Deer Park Ave., Dix Hills invites artists from Suffolk, Nassau, Brooklyn, and Queens to submit entries to the upcoming juried exhibit featuring works by artists who call the four counties of the island home.  The 60th Long Island Artists Exhibition is now a biennial exhibit and will be on view in the Art League’s spacious Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery December 4 through January 21, 2022.   The deadline to submit applications is Friday, November 5.

Entry for each artist is limited to five works not previously exhibited in the Art League of Long Island’s gallery, one of which may be chosen from among submissions by the exhibition juror.  Two and three-dimensional original work in any medium may be submitted, including photography and fine craft, with the exception of videos.

The Art League is honored to have Joshua Ruff serve as juror for the Long Island Artists Exhibition. Joshua Ruff is the Deputy Director and Director of Collections & Interpretation at the Long Island Museum of American Art, History & Carriages, in Stony Brook. Mr. Ruff is a graduate of Syracuse University (BAs in Broadcast Journalism and also in History) and Stony Brook University (MA in History). He has worked at the Long Island Museum for 24 years in a variety of positions, including as Curator of its History and Carriage Collections.

He was also Senior Lecturer in History at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue, NY for 20 years. He has served as an editor of the Long Island History Journal since 2009. Mr. Ruff has curated more than 60 exhibitions, including, most recently, Fire & Form: New Directions in Glass (2021) and Perfect Harmony: The Musical Life and Art of William Sidney Mount (2019), which traveled to the Fenimore Art Museum, in Cooperstown, NY. In addition to co-authoring several books and exhibition catalogs, he has articles in publications that include Magazine Antiques; American Art Review; American History magazine; and the Long Island History Journal.

Applications must be submitted online at www.client.smarterentry.com/alli

For more information, call 631-462-5400.

'Over Our Dead Bodies' by Judith Schaechter
‘Isola’ by Judith Schaechter

Artist Talk at the LIM

The Long Island Museum, 1200 Route 25A, Stony Brook will present an afternoon with glass artist Judith Schaechter in the Carriage Museum’s Gillespie Room on Sunday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.

Featured in LIM’s current exhibition, Fire & Form: New Directions in Glass, Schaechter will speak about her work, technique, and inspirations. Program is free with museum admission, but pre-registration is strongly recommended due to capacity limits.

All attendees are required to be fully vaccinated to attend this live program. For questions or more information email: [email protected]

'Tapestry 1' by Andrea Cote

The Huntington Arts Council seeks artists for its exciting new juried exhibit, Bold Movements.

Juried by Andrea Cote, the show will be on view at the HAC’s Main Street Gallery, 213 Main St., Huntington from Feb. 4 to March 12, 2022.

From action-painting to collective manifestos, “Bold Movements” make their mark in space and time. Whether made with confidence or vulnerability, artists who are courageous in their work take creative risks and walk on the edge of what could be possible. Artists and collaborators are encouraged to submit work in all artistic mediums and disciplines including visual arts, video & animation, dance, and music.

Deadline to enter is Dec. 20.
For more information and to enter go to their website, www.huntingtonarts.org