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Apple Bank of Smithtown

Smithtown Township Arts Council has announced that the works of Smithtown artist Sandra Ray will be on view July 4 to August 24 at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown. The exhibition, part of the Arts Council’s Outreach GalleryProgram, may be viewed during regular banking hours Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sandra Ray was born Alessandra Bocchi in Brooklyn, NY, July 14, 1924.  She is 99 years old and is a smart, outgoing, and humorous woman who loves animals and good conversation. Her parents, Rose Oddo and Gino Bocchi were Italian immigrants.  She had one sister, Yolanda.  She met  and married her husband, Charles Ray after WWII, and lived in Brooklyn, Ohio, Rochester, and Kings Park before moving to Smithtown in 1961. She has three daughters, Linda (now deceased), Pamela, and Amy, and four grandchildren.  She attended both Hunter College and Hofstra University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in education. Sandra still lives at her home in Smithtown to this day and worked as a teacher for the Smithtown Central School District, retiring in 1986.  Having lived and worked in Smithtown for so many years, everyone seems to  know her, and she sees former students all the time who remind her of how much they loved having her as a teacher.

Her passion for art and painting started as a young adult. While living in Brooklyn, Sandra worked for Whelan’s in the photo restoration  and retouching department.  She loved the feeling of the oils and started to purchase her own art supplies and began her painting in her small backyard.  She also worked for a photographer when she and Charles lived in Rochester, New York.  In the studio, Sandra worked in the Heavy Brush department retouching portraits and painting photographs.  She used thick oils to tint faces.  If you ask her about oils as a medium, she will tell you that oils fascinate her because oils “Project life in the way that they flow.  They have a velvet flow.”  She has always enjoyed the arts and attended several galleries throughout the years, joining painting groups and going on tours. One of her art teachers recommended that she try other mediums, so she started to work with pastels, acrylics, and watercolors.

Sandra’s daughter Pam says, “My mother is very funny, and she is sharp as a tack!” Smithtown Arts Council is pleased to feature the work of this incredibly special local lady and artist at Apple Bank!

“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 has announced that the works of East Northport artist Steve Walker will be on view at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown now through June 30. The exhibition, part of the Arts Council’s Outreach Gallery Program, may be viewed during regular banking hours Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 am – 1 p.m.

Steve Walker is a self-taught charcoal artist and civic-minded individual. After retiring from the corporate world, where he worked as a Corporate Accountant and an Enterprise Technology Account Executive, Walker joined a nonprofit, Rebuilding Together Long Island, as a volunteer where he is currently helping the organization run as Vice President. The charity utilizes volunteers to provide free safety repairs to homeowners who are financially and physically unable to maintain their homes.

Walker was inspired by his mother who dabbled in art and did some incredible drawings while being legally blind. However, it was not until after retirement that he started drawing as a hobby. He loves using charcoal which allows him to produce detailed images that are visually bold with an element of drama. He introduced pastels into many of his pieces for color and additional contrast and vibrance. Walker’s art mainly focuses on landmarks and architectural structures on Long Island and in New York City but includes scenes from Europe as well.

Walker’s hobby has blossomed into a fulfilling passion during retirement. His art has had many solo art exhibits in galleries and libraries across Long Island.

“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!” said the press release.

Smithtown Township Arts Council has announced in a press release that the works of East Setauket artist Robert Roehrig will be on view at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown from September 19 to November 17. The exhibition, part of the Arts Council’s Outreach Gallery Program, can be viewed during regular banking hours Monday – Thursday 9 am – 4 pm; Friday 9 am – 6 pm; Saturday 9 am – 1 pm.

“From the time I was growing up in Queens and then Hicksville, I always loved to draw. I would sketch  airplanes, cars, people – pretty much anything that caught my fancy. An important early influence was an artist named John Nagy, who had a TV show in the 1950’s that provided lessons on how to draw. I really enjoyed the program so my parents bought me his instruction booklet and kit. In it, the artist showed you step by step how to complete a picture. I still remember the pictures; a railroad train with smoke billowing,  a young boy wearing a sombrero, and others. I completed every one,” said Roehrig.

“I took some art courses in high school and at Hofstra University, but I decided on social studies education as a career path. After college, I married my lovely wife Joan, and we raised our two children. Throughout those busy years, I did some sketching and watercolor painting for fun and relaxation. When I retired from teaching and counseling at Commack High School, I decided to try oil painting, something I had not done since high school.  I soon found the versatility and rich colors of the oil medium to my liking. I have been oil painting ever since,” he added.

Many of Rob’s paintings try to capture the beauty of the natural world. “I feel fortunate to live on Long Island with its scenic beaches, coves, wetlands and farms. It is a challenge – and fun – to paint a spectacular cloud formation or a pretty reflection in a lake or pond. I tend toward realism and I often choose subjects that highlight the contrast between sun and shadow. Buildings or structures attract  me as well and often make for an interesting scene. When traveling in the US or abroad, I am always on the lookout for a potential painting. The completed paintings help to rekindle wonderful memories,” he said.

“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!” said the press release.

The Smithtown Township Arts Council has announced in a press release that the works of Smithtown artist Lynn Staiano will be on view at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown grin Feb. 21 to April 21. The exhibition, part of the Arts Council’s Outreach Gallery Program, can be viewed during regular banking hours — Monday to o Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Smithtown artist Lynn Staiano is a licensed psychotherapist and clinical social worker by day, and a landscape artist in the evenings and weekends.  She is a self-taught artist who has always been involved with creative arts, having had a mother who was an artist in her youth. However, in recent years, Lynn has developed a new passion and talent for painting.

“The isolation of the pandemic opened up my ability to really observe and appreciate little details in nature; reflections in water, how the sunlight diffuses through the trees, or how shadows cover the grass,” she said.  “I try to capture these elements and hope that my paintings evoke emotion or give the viewer an experience. I especially love it when it feels as though you can walk right into one of my paintings. That’s always the best compliment I could ever receive about my art.”

Staiano is now further developing her technique and style through tutorials and classes. Some of her favorite things to paint include rustic old farmhouses or uninhabited buildings, barns, quaint restaurants, and colorful landscapes. She paints in studio or plein air, primarily in acrylic, and has tried pencil sketches, pastels, and hopes to someday master oils.

“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!,” said the press release.

Smithtown Township Arts Council has announced that the works of Nesconset artist Catherine Rezin will be on view at Apple Bank of Smithtown, 91 Route 111, Smithtown from December 20 to February 17, 2022. The  exhibition, part of STAC’s Outreach Gallery Program, can be viewed during regular banking hours, Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Nesconset artist Catherine Rezin is a retired textile artist who has renewed her love of painting and drawing during the past four years. “In the early months of the Covid restrictions, I found myself doing pastel portraits of our grandchildren and then other family members. The next progression was to painting watercolor landscapes,” she said.

Inspired by the beauty of nature, Rezin never seems to run out of sources of inspiration living on Long Island. “I am in awe of the spectacular surroundings that are around me at all times and am passionate in my desire to convey these images to art.” The artist can be commissioned to do portraits of loved ones or capture and convert a favorite vacation photo to a custom artwork.

“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!,” said the Council.