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Lynn Staiano

Smithtown Township Arts Council’s Mills Pond Gallery in St. James highlights the talents of 87 of its artists with its annual Member Artist Showcase exhibit of original fine art for sale from Jan. 27 to Feb. 24. 

Celebrating the creativity and rich tapestry of talent that defines our communities, the exhibit features works were created in a wide variety of mediums including acrylic, alabaster, bronze, charcoal, graphite, conte, gauche, ink, medium, mixed media, monotype print, oil, pastel, pencil, photography, photomontage, stained glass mosaic, watercolor and wood.

Juror Susan Van Scoy will select this year’s Member Artist Showcase winners. The four selected winners will be invited to exhibit in next year’s Winners Showcase. Van Scoy is an Associate Professor of Art History at St. Joseph’s College where she teaches courses on the history of photography, and American and Modern art. 

The exhibiting artists hail from 53 communities…Suffolk County, Nassau County, Queens, Yonkers, and Westchester and include Adriena Masi, Amal, Angela Stratton, Anne Eckel, Annette Napolitano, Barbara Bilotta, Barbara V. Jones, Barry Feuerstein, Bart DeCeglie, Bobbie Ludwig, Carol Ceraso, Christopher Buckley, Cliff  Miller, Constance Sloggat Wolf, David P. Doran, Debra Baker, Diane Motroni, Diane Oliva, Don Weber, Ellen Ferrigno, Eugene Adamowicz, Felecia Montfort, Frederic  Mendelsohn, Gabriella Grama, George Junker, Gia Horton, Hillary Serota Needle, Jacqueline DuBarry, Jacques Garant, Jane Corrarino, Janine Menlove, Jeanette Martone, Jim Minet, JoAnne Dumas, John Hunt, Joyce Bressler, Judy Stone, Karin  Dutra, Kirsten DiGiovanni, Kusuma Bheemineni, Kyle Blumenthal, Lisa Marie Scrima-Castelli, Liz Kolligs, Lori Scarlatos, Lou  Deutsch, Lynn Kinsella, Lynn Staiano, M. Ellen Winter, Madeline Stare, Mark Levine, Marsha  Abrams, Mary Ann Vetter, Mary Waka, Matthew Lombardo, Merle McGarrett, Michael Hennessey, Myungja Anna Koh, Nicholas Valentino, Oscar Santiago, Pamela Waldroup, Pat Forie, Patricia  DiGiovanni, Patricia  Morrison, Patty Yantz, Paul Edelson, Paul Mele, Renee Caine, Robert Roehrig, Robert Tuska, Robert Wallkam, Roberta Rodgers, Roger Kramer, Ron Becker, Sean Pollock, Sebastian McLaughlin, Shain Bard, Stephen Shannon, Susan Guihan-Guasp, Teresa Idelowitz, Terry Tramantano, Theodora Zavala, Thomas DiCicco, Tina Anthony, Tracey Alemaghides, Tracy Mahler-Tekverk, Vivian Hershfield and William D. Reed. 

The public is invited to an opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet the artists and enjoy their art.

The Mills Pond Gallery is located at 660 Route 25A, St. James. Gallery hours are Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. For more information, call 631-862-6575, or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

By Tara Mae

Art traverses the boundaries that reality calls home. Silhouettes illuminated by soft sunlight; seascapes awash in mist; hints of humankind identified by what is left behind, Smithtown Township Arts Council’s latest exhibit at Mills Pond Gallery, Celebrating Nature and Light, explores environmental elements of everyday life. 

On view from Oct. 28 to Dec. 9, the gorgeous show features 66 works of art. All watercolor or gauche, the pieces were created by 49 artists from 28 Long Island communities, as well as the greater state of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, and South Dakota. 

Although other exhibits at the Mills Pond Gallery have featured watercolors, Celebrating Nature and Light highlights the medium’s malleability in conveying the nuances of the natural world. 

“I believe that watercolor possesses a radiant quality that best conveys both light and mood. It imparts an airy and transparent quality to the skies while infusing the landscape with a vibrant array of colors,” said juror and watercolorist Joel Popadics, Vice President/Treasurer of the American Watercolor Society.

Shades and tones, whether muted or ebullient, entice the audience to immerse itself in the places portrayed in the paintings. Watercolor blends edges of reality with intrinsic openness of imagination. Realistic scenes are imbued with an ethereal essence that feels both intimate and expansive. 

Such qualities inspired Popadics in choosing the exhibit’s underlying motifs of nature and light. “I’ve always been drawn to watercolor and I have worked with it my entire career. The unpredictable quality of watercolor makes this medium special,” he said. “As a landscape painter, this theme is particularly close to my heart.” 

It is an appreciation shared by Mills Pond Gallery’s Executive Director Allison Cruz. She organizes a few landscape shows a year, but had never before organized a juried watercolor exhibit at the gallery. 

“Landscape is of course a popular subject, especially here on Long Island. Watercolor paints are transparent and fluid, making them a perfect medium for capturing light,” Cruz said. 

The accessibility of watercolor is not limited to locations familiar to locals, but encompasses those vistas that may only be known to the artists themselves. Natural light enhances evocative views that are demurely dappled or boldly bright, accentuating humanity either in the signs of its presence or the abundance of its absence. 

“Art is subjective so it’s important to respect the diversity of artistic expression…I also think it’s fascinating to see the unique personal interpretations that each artist brings to the theme,” Popadics said, a sentiment also shared by Cruz.

“I look at every new exhibit as an opportunity to create new art lovers…to get more people to enjoy art and to help artists get their creations to new audiences,” said Cruz. 

Exhibiting artists include Alexander Kaluzhny, Alisa Shea, Angela Mirro, Ann Shoshkes, Antonio Masi, Brenda L Bechtel, Carol Koch, Catherine Rezin, Christine Verga Maday, Christopher Buckley, Daniel Walworth, Denis Ponsot, Diana Aliberti, Ellen Ferrigno, Felecia Montfort, Gentry L. Croshaw, Gisela Skoglund, Jan Guarino, Jeffrey Van Esselstine , Joan Vera Martorana, Joanne Teets, Joyce Bressler, Karen Bennett, Karen B Davis, Karin Weibert, Kathleen McArdle, Khrystyne Robillard-Smith, Kirsten DiGiovanni, Lisa Claisse, Liz Jorg Masi, Lori Scarlatos, Lynn Staiano, Lynn Liebert, Marsha Abrams, Mary Kiernan, Mary Waka, Myungja Anna Koh, Patricia Morrison, Patty Yantz, Robert Tuska, Roberta Rogers, Robin Foreman, Sally Anne Keller, Susan Toplitz, Susan Herbst, Teresa Cromwell, Tianzhou Zhao, Tracy Tekverk, and Victoria A. Beckert.

The Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, St. James is open Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. (Closed Thanksgiving weekend). The public is invited to an opening reception for ‘Celebrating Nature and Light’ on Oct. 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet the artists and view their work. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org. 

Henry David Thoreau once said, “The world is but a canvas to our imagination.” The latest exhibit at the Mills Pond Gallery, Four Creative Visions, seems to have taken inspiration from that very quote. The beautiful show opens on Sept. 30 and runs through Oct. 20.  

The exhibit features four Long Island artists — Dorothy Fortuna (Smithtown), Lynn Kinsella (Brookhaven), Lynn Staiano (Smithtown), and Robert Wallkam (Port Jefferson) — each sharing their creative voice through a different medium (acrylic, oil, pastel, watercolor) and capturng the landscapes of Long Island and distant destinations, showing us the poetry and beauty in seemingly ordinary places.

Pastel artist Dorothy Fortuna enjoys exploring as she travels in search of new subjects for paintings. “The passion I have for the world around me inspires creativity. Pastel painting and the techniques involved in placing color and blending color then allow me to achieve the sense of water movement or a perspective of the land that can create depth and value, transforming a flat surface into a place we can recognize and relate to,” she explained.

Watercolor artist Lynn Kinsella attended Phoenix School of Design in Manhattan and went on to work in book publishing specializing in layout and illustration. After retirement, she decided to expand her creativity by taking watercolor classes. Kinsella’s watercolor paintings have been exhibited in galleries and juried exhibitions across Long Island. “I paint primarily in watercolor with a focus on nature. I enjoy painting scenes reflective of the local environment,” said Kinsella.

Artist Lynn Staiano is a licensed psychotherapist by day, and a landscape artist in the evenings and weekends. She is a self-taught artist who has always been a lover of the arts. Staiano has developed a passion and talent for painting landscapes using both oils and acrylics. “I observe and appreciate little details in nature; reflections in water, how the sunlight diffuses through the trees, how cloud formations change and how their shadows cover the grass,” she said.

Port Jefferson artist Robert Wallkam has been painting since his college days. He has a broad and interesting background, having received a master’s degree in fine art, studied business, and taught high school art. In addition to his passion for painting, Wallkam enjoys a wide variety of artistic pursuits, most notably landscape architecture, a field which he has worked in for many years. His art has been widely exhibited across Long Island. He has worked in many mediums but currently acrylic is his favorite.

The public is invited to an opening reception for Four Creative Visions on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet the exhibiting artists and view their work. 

The Mills Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, St. James is open Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is always free. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

By Heidi Sutton

From July 15 to Aug. 11, the Smithtown Township Arts Council’s Mills Pond Gallery in St. James will present a very special art exhibit capturing snapshots of the place we all call home. 

Titled A Sense of Place, the juried exhibit features 62 works by 54 artists from 35 communities across Long Island in a variety of mediums including acrylic, charcoal, ink, watercolor, oil, pastel, photography, torn paper collage, collage quilt, and etching.

According to Mills Pond Gallery Executive Director Allison Cruz, artists were asked to creatively capture what they experience, appreciate, or connect to in their Long Island homeland. The resulting submissions will fill the gallery walls with scenes of Long Island beaches, lakes, sunsets, parks, wineries, farms, and wildlife, exactly was Cruz was hoping for when she came up with the theme of A Sense of Place several years ago after reading an article in an Early Childhood Education Journal while serving as a school board member. 

“I was reading the Journal and this [passage] caught my eye:  ‘Places shape the stories of our lives. These stories become ongoing “ecological conversations”—i.e., expressions of the dialogue between ourselves and the environment (Lutts, 1985). When this conversation ends, so will our future.

The development of healthy environmental awareness and concern starts with a feeling response to nature. Such a response comes primarily by way of firsthand positive experiences in the out-of-doors, especially in environments fostering a “sense of place” experience.'” 

The recurring exhibit has become a favorite among the community, the artists and Cruz.

“I really love the Long Island exhibits! I have done six or seven of them and every one has been unique. Long Island artists always step up to the plate and submit me unique works every time. I never fail to find a work that makes me add a new place to my personal list of “must visit” Long Island places,” said Cruz. “And that is what I hope gallery visitors will be inspired to do…find new local places to explore. This Island we call home has so many amazing, unique places to see and learn about!”

Exhibiting artists include Marsha Abrams, Bonnie Bennett Barbera, Shain Bard, Ron Becker, Kyle Blumenthal, Sheila Breck, Joyce Bressler, Carlo Buscemi, Lou Charnon-Deutsch, Rocco Citeno, Lisa Claisse, Kirsten DiGiovanni, Julie Doczi, Karin Dutra, Paul Edelson, Ellen Ferrigno, Dorothy Fortuna, Stacey Gail Schuman, Vivian Gattuso, Kathleen Gerlach, Maureen Ginipro, Jan Guarino, Susan Guihan Guasp, John Hunt, George Junker, Julianna Kirk, Myungja Anna Koh, Mark Levine, Christine MacDonagh, Kathleen McArdle, Kerri McKay, Paul Mele, Patricia Morrison, Annette Napolitano, Gail Neuman, Sean Pollock, Robert Roehrig, Oscar Santiago, Kathee Shaff Kelson, Stephen Shannon, Gisela Skoglund, Lynn Staiano, Mike Stanko, Madeline Stare, Judy Stone, Angela Stratton, Tracy  Tekverk, Dominique Treboux, Nicholas Valentino, Steve Walker, Robert Wallkam, Patty  Yantz, Theodora Zavala and Tianzhou Zhao.

Cruz is excited to unveil the exhibit to the public this Saturday, July 15 at an artist reception from 1 to 4 p.m. 

“Visitors will see wonderful artwork created by artists living and working right here on Long Island. And all the works are actual places here on Long Island that people can visit…no need to travel too far to be exposed to wonderful history, ecology, and culture,” she said.

Mills Pond Gallery is located at 660 Route 25A in St. James. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the gallery is always free. For more information, call 631-862-6575, or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

Join the artists for a reception on March 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. 

Smithtown Township Arts Council’s Mills Pond Gallery highlights the talents of 72 of its artists with its annual Member Artist Showcase exhibit of original fine art for sale from March 4 to April 1. 

Exhibiting artists, who hail from 41 communities across Long Island as well as New York City, New Jersey, North Carolina  and Maryland, were able to select the work that they wish to display, affording them the opportunity to show public audiences a work that may be new, or something they created experimenting with a new medium or a work they love but have never had an opportunity to exhibit anywhere.

Works were created using a wide variety of mediums including acrylic, bronze, charcoal, etching, graphite, mixed media sculpture,  oil, origami, pastel, photography and watercolor.

Participating artists include Marsha Abrams, Ross Barbera, Shain Bard, Ron Becker, Karen Bennett, Kyle Blumenthal, Daniel C. Boyer, Joyce Bressler, Renee Caine, Linda Ann Catucci, Karen Celella, Carol Ceraso, Lou Charnon-Deutsch, Rocco  Citeno, Donna Corvi, Teresa Cromwell, Julie Doczi, Jacqueline DuBarry, JoAnne Dumas, Karin Dutra, Paul Edelson, Deidre Elzer-Lento, Ellen Ferrigno, Modern Fossils, Vivian Gattuso, Joyce Greenbaum, Francesca Guddemi, Michael Hennessey, David Herman, Gia Horton, George Junker, James Kelson, Lynn Kinsella, Myungja Anna Koh, Susan Kozodoy Silkowitz, Paul Mele, Fred Mendelsohn, Patricia Morrison, Karen George Mortimore, Roni Murillo, Annette Napolitano, Gail Neuman, Diane Oliva, Eileen W  Palmer, Sean Pollock, Catherine Rezin, Robert Roehrig, Oscar Santiago, Lori Scarlatos, Anita Schnirman, Joan Schwartzman, Kenneth Schwartzman, Hillary Serota Needle, Kathee Shaff Kelson, Stephen Shannon, Gisela Skoglund, Sílvia Soares Boyer, Lynn Staiano, Mike Stanko, Madeline Stare, Angela Stratton, Mark Strodl, Robert Tuska, Nicholas Valentino, Mary Ann Vetter, Pamela Waldroup, Steve Walker, Robert Wallkam, Don Weber, M. Ellen Winter, Patricia Yantz and Theodora Zavala.

The public is invited to an opening reception Saturday, March 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. to meet the exhibiting artists and view their work. 

Mills Pond Gallery is located at 660 Route 25A in Saint James. Hours of operation are Wednesdays to Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, call 631-862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.

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.

By Melissa Arnold

With its many beaches, parks, lakes and farmland, it’s easy to see that Long Island is full of natural beauty. For the local art community, the variety of landscapes provide a constant source of inspiration.

Of course, nature is always changing, but not only with the seasons. Global warming continues to affect all of us, driving home the message that nothing is guaranteed and that we must work together to protect our world.

The Smithtown Township Arts Council (STAC) is reflecting on climate change and the environment through an extended series of exhibits at the Mills Pond Gallery in St. James that began this past fall. Their next exhibit, Long Island Landscapes: From Awe to Action, invites viewers to appreciate the beauty of this area while considering what they might do to preserve it. The show opens Feb. 5.

“I like to do a local, landscape-based exhibit each year, and I wanted to see if there was a way to connect it to the theme of climate change,” said Allison Cruz, executive director at the Mills Pond Gallery. “Art is a method of communication, a way to help people see things and make connections in new ways. We can read the newspaper or watch the news to see that the ice caps are melting and the world is heating up, but to see these artistic expressions of our area makes you realize we might not have them forever.”

The exhibit features 60 works from 53 Long Island artists. A variety of styles and mediums will be on display, including acrylic, watercolor, oil, graphite and charcoal.

Each artist also took time to reflect on what the natural world and environmental conservation means to them.

Anita Simmons of Commack finds her inspiration while going for a drive, walking through area parks or spending the day at the beach. A retired accountant and the daughter of an avid gardener, Simmons grew up next to sprawling fields of corn and potatoes — crops that are no longer as common on Long Island.

“My paintings are an emotional response to what can be seen in the natural landscape of Long Island, which I have enjoyed all my life,” she said. “My dad would plant morning glories that grew up our chimney every year, and I have always loved them. When I saw the morning glories at Schneider Farm in Melville, I just had to photograph them to paint later.”

Ellen Ferrigno often paints scenes very close to her home in Port Jefferson. Protecting the environment has been a part of her life for many years, and she eventually became a Cornell Cooperative Master Gardener to increase her own understanding and educate others about the natural world.

“What supports nature’s environment is a community as well as individual efforts. Therefore, I paint these scenes as reminders of what nature’s beauty is,” she explained. “During the early part of the pandemic, I researched and painted the plants in my gardens that attract beneficial insects, provide a soothing tea or feed the birds. I often included a narrative to educate the art viewers. I also found myself increasing my gardens, putting out feeders for the birds and attracting the bees.”

Cruz and STAC have partnered with a number of local environmental organizations to provide information, literature and ways for visitors to support their cause. They include The Nature Conservancy, Defend H2O, Save the Sound, The Sierra Club, Higher Ground, The Coastal Research and Education Society of Long Island, the Seatuck Environmental Association, Save the Great South Bay, Long Island Water, and Group for the East End.

“We have so many wonderful locally-focused groups that work hard every day to protect and preserve our environment here,” said Cruz. “This isn’t just about appreciating beautiful art — we also want to bring attention to all the good these groups are doing and encourage visitors to get involved.” 

Along with Simmons and Ferrigno, artists participating in this exhibit include Marsha Abrams, Lucia Alberti, Tina Anthony, Shain Bard, Ron Becker, Claudia Bedell, Sheila Breck, Joyce Bressler, Renee Caine, Carol Ceraso, Patricia Cisek, Tobi Cohen, Donna Corvi, Lou Deutsch, Julie Doczi, Karin Dutra, Dorothy Fortuna, Donna Gabusi, Vivian Gattuso, Jan Guarino, Regina Halliday, David Herman, Wendy Hildreth-Spence, Gia Horton Schifano, John Hunt, Lynn Kinsella, Liz Kolligs, Lynn Liebert, E Craig Marcin, Avrel Menkes, Annette Napolitano, Catherine Rezin, Robert Roehrig, Oscar Santiago, Hillary Serota Needle, Gisela Skoglund, Lynn Staiano, Madeline Stare, Angela Stratton, John Taylor, Tracy Tekverk, Christine Tudor, Nicholas Valentino, Daniel van Benthuysen, Mary Ann Vetter, Mary Waka, Robert Wallkam, Patty Yantz, and Theodora Zavala.

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Long Island Landscapes: From Awe to Action is on view at the Mill Pond Gallery, 660 Route 25A, Saint James from Feb. 5 through Feb. 26 Proof of vaccination and masks are required to visit. Meet the artists at an opening reception at the gallery on Feb. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. For more information about the exhibit and what you can do to protect the environment, call 631- 862-6575 or visit www.millspondgallery.org.