Art exhibit

'Alluring', watercolor by Lorraine Rimmelin

The Art League of Long Island has emerged from the COVID pandemic with new in-person and virtual art classes, and its second live gallery exhibit of 2021: the long-awaited annual Instructor’s Exhibition. Art League Instructor artwork is on exhibit in the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery October 30 through November 20. An open house and public artists’ reception take place Saturday, October 30 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The open house and reception are free and open to the general public.

The Art League of Long Island boasts an impressive roster of art instructors who not only teach but also “do “.  Many of the Art League’s instructors are award-winning artists themselves whether on the local, national, or international stage.  The open house offers visitors a first-hand look at the inner-workings in the Art League’s specialized art studios through live demonstrations by the instructors.  Demonstrations include painting, drawing, pottery, jewelry making, and more.  Meet the instructors and learn about their classes and approach to teaching. Registration for late fall classes is open now, with winter/spring sessions to be posted online throughout late fall.

Art Demo Schedule:
– Patrick Aievoli: Game Design & Development for Teens – 11am-2pm
– Liz Fusco: Acrylic Painting for Young Artists (9-12yrs) ; Watercolor for Beginners (Adults and ages 16 & up); Oil Painting for Beginners (Adults and ages 16 & up) – 11am-2pm
– Stephanie Navon Jacobson: Printmaking Sampler – 12pm-2pm
– Marla Mencher: Jewelry Making (meet the instructor and students in after-class session) – 1pm-2pm
– Katie Rocks: Ceramics Studio Wheel Demonstration – 12pm-2pm
Please be advised: Masks are required when in the building at all times. 20 people will be allowed into the building at any one time.

The Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery is open free of charge Tuesdays & Thursdays 10am-5pm, and Fridays & Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Art League is located at 107 East Deer Park Road in Dix Hills. For more information call (631) 462-5400 or visit www.artleagueli.org.

Smithtown Township Arts Council has announced in a press release that the works of Commack artist John Taylor will be on view from October 25 to December 16, 2021 at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown. The exhibition, part of STAC’s Outreach Gallery Program, can be viewed during regular banking hours Monday – Friday 9 am – 4 pm; Saturday 9 am – 1 pm.

John Taylor earned his associate’s degree, in commercial art from S.U.N.Y Farmingdale. There he met and studied with world-renowned painter/ illustrator Raphael DeSoto who introduced him to pastel painting. John feels fortunate to be able to pursue his passion for art full time now that he is retired. He works hard to improve his art skills by studying with many art groups on Long Island.

“It is the challenge of every artist to try and catch the beauty of a flower and succeed in doing so,” said Taylor.

“STAC is grateful to Apple Bank for its continued support of culture in our communities. We are so happy to feature the talents of Long Island artists in this space!” read the press release.

Smithtown Township Arts Council is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization.

The Resurgence exhibit will include 'Luke with Blocks' by Peter Leeds

The Smithtown Chamber of Commerce and the Smithtown Township Arts Council will host an Evening of Art & Music at the Mills Pond House, 660 Route 25A, St. James on Tuesday, Oct. 26 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Experience the historic property and view the gallery’s current exhibit, Resurgence, while listening to the soulful sounds of Teri George & The Connection. Appetizers by Elegant Eating will be served. Sponsored by Pure Mammography. Tickets are $30 per person. Advance registration only at www.smithtownchamber.com. Sorry, no payments at the door. For more info, please call 631-979-8069.

From trick or treating, haunted trails, parades, festivals and pumpkin carving, there’s always so much to do on the North Shore around Halloween. Over in Huntington, the Huntington Arts Council is playing host to a spooky art show that is perfect for the season.

Celebrating its 10th year, the popular juried student exhibit Nightmare on Main Street featuring 55 works of art opens at the HAC’s Main Street Gallery on Oct. 22. 

This year’s juror, Sueey Gutierrez, invited students in grades 6 to 12 to submit work inspired by the theme of Halloween.  “Halloween is a celebration observed in many countries. For some, it is a time, or reflection for remembering loved ones that have passed. For others it is a celebration of life. Many experience Halloween mainly with candy, costumes and spooky decorations. It all depends on your cultural background. … Show us how you celebrate Halloween and what it means to you, your family or your friends,” she asked of the artists. 

All mediums were accepted, including drawing, painting, photography and sculpture.

“It was challenging selecting works for this show since there were so many great entries. There was a lot of variety in the work from digital, photography, sculpture and traditional media as well as different skill sets. But the pieces that were selected for this exhibition conveyed strong emotions and how they connect to Halloween; from cultural, whimsical, and visceral imagery,” said Gutierrez.

“The point is to make the audience connect with the work, to grab their attention so that they may form their own opinions,” she added.

“Our 10th annual Nightmare on Main Street exhibition continues to inspire students throughout Long Island to interpret the meaning of Halloween and how they chose to create their artistic representation of the theme. With 89 submissions, from 19 school districts, the 55 pieces accepted for the show reflect the abundance of talent, creativity and skill in these young adults, and that is exciting to see,” said Marc Courtade, Executive Director of Huntington Arts Council.

“For many of these students, Nightmare on Main Street is their first opportunity to participate in a gallery exhibition. Huntington Arts Council is proud to be able to support young artists in the community, and encourage their creativity through our exhibition program. All are welcome to come to our Main Street Gallery and view this unique show!” said Courtade.

The Huntington Arts Council’s Main Street Gallery, 213 Main Street, Huntington presents Nightmare On Main Street from Oct. 22 to Nov. 13. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and some weekends with limited capacity, social distancing and face coverings required at all times. Please call 631-271-8423 in advance. For more information,  visit www.huntingtonarts.org.

 

As autumn arrives on the North Shore, so does a perennial favorite, the Setauket Artists exhibition. Now in its 41st year, the beloved show returns to the Setauket Neighborhood House on Oct. 24 with a reception from 1 to 4 p.m. Over 40 local artists will be participating this year along with guest artist and nationally known oil painter David Peikon.

Peikon is showcasing his stunning painting of an east end farm which displays the naturalism of his landscapes. “Capturing nature in all its infinite beauty is a never-ending challenge. I endeavor to create paintings that pull the viewer into the space as if they were alongside me,” he said.

This year’s Honored Artist, Patricia Yantz, will exhibit five of her latest paintings. “The artists chose Patricia because of the superior quality of her acrylic and pastels paintings and years of dedication to the organization. She works tirelessly on various committees and has become our newly elected recording secretary,” said Irene Ruddock, President of the Setauket Artists. 

The cover artist is John Mansueto, a Parsons School of Design graduate in Fine Arts, who exhibits in New York City, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. “I love to explore Long Island and when I saw the sunflowers in the crates at Riverhead’s Briermere Farm, I knew I had to paint it,” he said.  

The works of pastel artist Jane McGraw Teubner will be on view as well.

“The Setauket Artists are honored to include Jane McGraw Teubner, PSA, MA, Master’s Circle who has been accepted into the permanent collection of the Salmagundi Art Club, won the silver medal from Allied Artist of America, was accepted into the Pastel Journals best one hundred and will soon be award the title Eminent Pastelist from the International Pastel Society,” said Ms. Ruddock. 

The only photographer in the show is the incomparable Marlene Weinstein who is exhibiting her hand-painted and mixed media pieces to the delight of her ardent followers. This year, the group is happy to welcome back Laurence Johnston, another fine artist who explains that he is “influenced by the light that living near the water brings and elevates the ordinary to the sublime.” Look for his beautifully painted oil Setauket Spring hanging over the fireplace in the entry hall. 

For lovers of contemporary art, Shelia Breck will awe you with her Matisse-like painting of Katey and Paul Edelson’s soft and sensual colors will bring you into the peaceful world he endeavors to capture. Celeste Mauro will wow you with her creative impressionistic acrylic and collage paintings. 

For nostalgia and history, you will enjoy Carol Link Scinta’s Rainy Day at the Setauket Neighborhood House and The Setauket Diner as well as William Graf’s luminous local watercolors of a Stony Brook sunset and Frank Melville Memorial Park. 

Flo Kemp usually creates soft-ground etchings, but this time she offers a very large, softly hued oil painting aptly titled Purple Mountain Melody. Frederic  Mendelsohn, who enjoys painting the bucolic waterways of Long Island, presents his oil piece titled Stony Brook Harbor and you are sure to be enchanted by Renee Caine’s  oil painting Enchanted Evening. 

Ruddock is excited for the opening. “As coordinator of the exhibit, I try to attract outstanding artists and I am thrilled with the quality of the paintings in this show. All of your favorite Setauket Artists will be there — Al Candia, Muriel Musarra, Rob Roehrig, Eleanor Meier, and so many more who will be showcasing their latest local paintings and looking forward to seeing you,” she said.

The reception is in-person, but a tent (with electric warmer) will be provided for viewers to wait until the number of people in the house matches the New York State guidelines. Refreshments will be served and raffles for paintings by Anthony Davis, Anne Katz, and Celeste Mauro offer a variety of styles and mediums: oil, watercolor and acrylic/collage paintings will draw you into the excitement of this annual autumn community event.

The artists deeply appreciate Fred Bryant of Bryant Funeral Home, who has been their generous sponsor for 16 years. Explains Ms. Ruddock, “Every single year, the art group uses the donation Fred gives us in a productive way that enhances our show, and, over time, has made it what it is. The artist are grateful indeed!” 

Participating artists include:

Ross Barbera, Shain Bard, Ron Becker, Rina Betro, Kyle Blumenthal, Sheila Breck, Joyce Bressler, Renee Caine, Al Candia, Gail L. Chase, Anthony Davis, Julie Doczi, Paul J. Edelson, Marge Governale, William Graf, Laurence Johnston, Flo Kemp, Karen Kemp, Joanne Liff, John Mansueto, Celeste Mauro, Judith Mausner, Lorraine McCormick, Jane McGraw Teubner, Terry McManus, Eleanor Meier, Fred Mendelsohn, Muriel Musarra, David Peikon, Paula Pelletier, Cathy Rezin, Joan Rockwell, Robert Roehrig, Irene Ruddock, Oscar Santiago, Carole Link Scinta, Barbara Jeanne Siegel, Angela Stratton, Susan Trawick, Marie Lourdes Velez, Marlene Weinstein and Patricia Yantz.

The Setauket Neighborhood House, 95 Main St., Setauket presents the 41st annual Setauket Artists Exhibition from Oct. 24 to Nov. 14 daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Open Halloween, closed Nov. 6 and 7). Face masks are required. For more information, visit www.setauketartists.com or email [email protected]. 

 

'Tater Hill' by Adam Kane Macchia

“To the body and mind which have been cramped by noxious work or company, nature is medicinal and restores their tone. The tradesman, the attor­ney comes out of the din and craft of the street and sees the sky and the woods, and is a man again. In their eternal calm, he finds himself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Huntington Arts Council, 213 Main St., Huntington invites artists to partic­ipate in “A Time For Reflection.”  Entries should focus on landscape works revolving around the theme of reflection and identity.

DEADLINE: October 11, 2021

EXHIBITION DATES: November 19 – December 18, 2021

ENTRIES

• Entries must be original to entrant. Framed entries require hanging wire. Submission materials cannot be returned.

• Selected works are chosen by the juror. No more than two works per artist are selected.

ELIGIBILITY

• All artists and media 

SIZE

• No work should exceed 48 inches in any direction.

• Standing work cannot be higher than 72 inches. 

ENTRY FEE

• First three entries

  • JOURNEY* school students $15
  • Full-time students $25
  • Artist Circle members $30
  • Non-members $40
  • Additional entries $5 each

Please note: Fees are nonrefundable. 

For all of guidelines for this call to artists click here.

Digital Submissions only – to submit application digitally click here.

To download the prospectus click here. 

About the Juror: Barbara Applegate loves art and, like Ralph Waldo Emerson, knows that many artists respond to a special call to create works about the landscape. Ms. Applegate has taught Art History to college students over the last eighteen years and served LIU’s Steinberg Museum of Art, as Coordinator and later Director, for more than twenty years. She seeks opportunities to engage viewers with works of art across all media. 

Questions? Please email [email protected]

Gallery North in Setauket hosted its 55th annual Outdoor Art Show & Music Festival on Sept. 11 and 12. The two day event showcased the work of over 90 artists and artisans and featured live music, kids activities and food and attracted thousands of visitors.

Juried by Karen Levitov, Director and Curator of the Zuccaire Gallery at Stony Brook University; artist Nancy Bueti-Randall; and Lorraine Walsh, Art Director and Curator of the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics, awards were granted for each art category, including wood craft, ceramics and pottery, fiber art, works on paper, photography, glass art, jewelry, and painting. Gallery North’s Executive Director Ned Puchner had the honor of presenting the awards. The winning artists will be featured in Gallery North’s Winners Circle Exhibition in 2022.

And the awards go to:

Best in Show: Chloe Wang

 Outstanding Wood craft:  Michael Josiah

Outstanding Fiber Art: ­Kate Ackerman

Outstanding Glass Art: Gail Applebaum

Outstanding Jewelry: Jessica Randall

Outstanding Painting in Oil and Acrylic:  William Low

Outstanding Ceramics and Pottery: Bebe Federmann

Outstanding Work on Paper: Gerard Lehner

Outstanding Work on Paper-Watercolor: Scott Hartman

Outstanding Photography: Madison Muehl

Honorable Mentions: Marlene Weinstein, Eric Giles

and Cassandra Voulo

Gallery North is located at 90 North Country Road, Setauket. For more information, call 631-751-2676 or visit www.gallerynorth.org.

 

As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to fall we turn our attention to the sights and sounds of autumn. In celebration of the season, the Reboli Center for Art and History presents Autumn Shadows, a beautiful exhibit featuring artwork by Joseph Reboli, Laura Westlake, Vicki Sawyer and more that include some beguiling and bewitching crows and ravens in paintings, drawings, ceramics and jewelry.

The show will run from September 28 to Oct. 31.

Some of Joseph Reboli’s paintings are on loan from private collectors, and are rarely exhibited, providing a great opportunity for Reboli fans to see some of his work for the first time. 

Laura Westlake is a native Long Islander, who grew up in Stony Brook and now lives in Orient with her artist husband, Dominic Di Lorenzo. Having studied at Santa Barbara City College in California and the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, she spent 15 years working in commercial illustration for television, magazine and print ads, portraiture and book illustration. 

Westlake excels in both color pencil and oil paints and has been exhibiting in galleries for over 35 years. Her love of birds and nature complements the work of internationally known artist, Vicki Sawyer, another show participant.

Celebrated for her incredibly imaginative and whimsical art, Vicki Sawyer, former Stony Brook artist and designer, has had two shows at the Reboli Center in recent years. Growing up in farm country, she spent years studying and admiring birds and animals. 

Sawyer works in acrylic and incorporates vegetables, twigs and flowers to adorn her whimsical creatures with hats, necklaces and other decorative accessories. Her paintings are definitely one of a kind. Her notecards, calendars and other home decor items are on sale in the Reboli Design Shop.

Other participating artists include Kevin McEvoy, Linda Giacalone, Laura Peters, Barbara Glynn Prodanuik and more. The Center’s History Room will continue on with an interesting exhibition curated by Tricia Foley, The Legacy of Leslie Marchant, which showcases the life and accomplishments of the accomplished Long Island builder.

“We are thrilled to have such a high caliber of artists participating in Autumn Shadows,” said Lois Reboli, a founder of the Reboli Center. “They each bring a distinct element of talent and creativity that supplement each other’s work.”

The Reboli Center for Art and History is located at 64 Main Street in Stony Brook. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, please call 631-751-7707 or visit www.rebolicenter.org.

Resurgence: A rising again into life, activity, or prominence.

Merriam-Webster

When the Smithtown Township Arts Council’s Mills Pond Gallery opens its doors this Saturday, it will introduce Resurgence, a fine art exhibition featuring fifty works by twenty-five contemporary realist artists selected by curator Thomas Legaspi. The stunning show will run through Oct. 23.

The exhibit features a cross section of representational artists from the New York  Metropolitan area, including Long Island, and Pennsylvania and a few artists whose ties to New York continue to be strong even after their art careers have relocated them after their amazing New York educational experiences.

“The artists have had to evolve and react to the changes happening in this pandemic society,” said Allison Cruz, Executive Director of the Mills Pond Gallery. “From cancelled brick and mortar exhibitions, closing of cultural institutions, concerns about the future to zoom teaching, virtual exhibitions and more. For some, working alone has sharpened their creative focus … for others, the absence of physical human connection has forced them to seek new sources of inspiration.” 

“We are thrilled to celebrate the strength of Realism as an art form and provide a forum for our public audiences to experience the moving and original ways artists depict the world around them,” she said.

Curator Thomas Legaspi has juried shows for Dacia Gallery and an Art Collective New York Realism. A New York based, contemporary realist artist with an MFA from The New York Academy of Art, he has exhibited nationally and internationally for the past 20 years. In that time, he has also worked as an Adjunct Professor of Art for St. John’s University and City College of Technology as well as in the historic Educational Alliance Art School in the Lower East Side. 

“With a hopeful gaze, Resurgence aims to highlight what these contemporary realist artists are creating in this return to creative activity,” said Legaspi.

Exhibiting artist include Susan Cottle Alberto, Steven Assael, Ross Barbera, James Xavier Barbour, Charis J Carmichael Braun, Julia Chen, Jon deMartin, Stephanie Deshpande, Elizabeth Diaz, William Dodge, Christian Fagerlund, Mojca Fatur, Kelly Foss, Kyle Keith, Sara Keith, Scott Lawson, Lisa Lebofsky, Peter Leeds, Cliff Miller, Kseniya Ostrovska, Ivan Pazlamatchev, Ravindra Rana, William D. Reed, Doug Reina and Zimou Tan.

The Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, St. James presents Resurgence from Sept. 25 to Oct. 23. The community is invited to an artist reception on Sept. 25 from 1 to 4 p.m. Proof of vaccination and masks are required.

Gallery hours are Wednesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

'Children of Cadiz' by Bill Graf

By Melissa Arnold

From his early days, Bill Graf was laser-focused on becoming a professional artist. And while he didn’t come from an artistic family, they were still eager to support him.

Artist Bill Graf

“When I was a little kid, I always drew — my mom was a voracious reader and would bring home stacks of books from the library, and I would draw in the margins,” said Graf, 61, of Huntington. “The librarian called our house and that’s how I was found out. My mom bought me two big pads of paper and pencils, and after that, it opened the floodgates.”

That deep love for creating has taken Graf from an art degree to a successful career and, more recently, sharing what he’s learned with others as an art teacher. He has also traveled the world in search of new vistas to capture.

This fall, the Atelier at Flowerfield in Saint James will exhibit more than 50 of Bill Graf’s paintings from the 1980s to current times. The solo exhibit will highlight Graf’s great skill in a variety of media and the beautiful places he’s been fortunate to paint over the years.

After high school, Graf wanted to use his artistic skills in a practical way. He chose to pursue an associate’s degree in advertising art and design from SUNY Farmingdale, but was initially turned down for the program.

“I met with the director of the program to sort of plead my case, and outside the office were these photorealistic pieces from the second-year students,” Graf recalled. “I told the director that I could do that. He doubted me, but he said, ‘Okay, I’ll give you three days to draw something in that style.’ When I came back, he looked at my work and said, ‘You’re in.’”

He went on to work in design, illustration and advertising, and studied in his free time at the Art Students’ League in New York City, where he learned the Frank Reilly system of painting. He also had the opportunity to study in Italy at the prestigious Cecil-Graves Studiomin Florence, Italy. Those experiences made a huge impact not only on his art, but on his career as well: Graf would spend more than 20 years illustrating the covers of various Harlequin novels.

“I would have a description of the hero and heroine, along with a synopsis of the book. Then I would work with models who would serve as references. We would set up the lights and backgrounds that I had chosen, shoot some pictures, then I would take those pictures home with me. I would have about a month to complete the final painting,” he explained.

Ultimately, as Harlequin switched over to photographed covers in 2015, Graf returned to his old passions as a way of coping with loss of his major client. He found renewed joy in watercolor and oil painting. A friend even suggested he try leading a casual paint night, which was a great success.

“I came away from that event with a sense that I could pass on what I’ve learned to others,” he said. “Seeing the enthusiasm of the people that were there, it felt like a good time to start paying it forward.”

Since 2016, Graf has taught a number of workshops in drawing and painting throughout Long Island, including at the Atelier.

“When we first met, I was blown away by Bill’s talent. He’s been able to pick up and excel in so many different media, with an incredible level of detail and a very high standard,” said Gaby Field-Rahman, administrator for the Atelier at Flowerfield. “Bill was also an instrumental part of getting the Atelier online and offering virtual classes during the height of the pandemic. In that way, he was truly a lifesaver for all of us.”

Carol D’Amato of Sound Beach first met Bill at one of his watercolor classes. She was newly widowed at the time and struggling to navigate life without her husband of 58 years.

“My doctor told me very seriously that I needed to make some positive changes or I was going to die of a broken heart. He asked me, ‘What is something you’ve always wanted to do but never had the chance?’ I admitted that I wanted to try watercolor, and he broke out into this huge grin,” she recalled. “He immediately said that he knew just the thing — that I needed to go to the Atelier and study with Bill Graf.”

During the first class, Graf gently observed that D’Amato didn’t really know how to draw, and told her that if she could learn to draw, he knew she could learn to paint.

“I really was the worst drawer ever! I never knew that I had the capability. I just needed someone who cared to come alongside me and teach me,” D’Amato said. “No one teaches like Bill. He has the ability to make you feel good and find good things in your art, even when you’re doing things wrong. I started with simple shapes and now, amazingly, I can paint nudes.”

As for Graf, he is always striving to grow as an artist and has never lost the passion he found as a young boy.

“It was my lifelong ambition to become a painter. I still have the same enthusiasm for a finished piece as I did with those first drawings when I was a kid,” he said. “I can lose so much time in my art … it’s almost meditative. I’m not looking to be the greatest of them all — I just have a love for seeing ideas come to life and sharing what I’ve learned with others.”

Bill Graf’s solo exhibit is on display now through Oct. 21 at the Atelier at Flowerfield’s Atelier Hall, 2 Flowerfield, Suite 6 & 9, Saint James. A reception will be held Sept. 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. For more information, call 631-250-9009 or visit www.theatelieratflowerfield.org.