TD Bank donates $25,000 to the ALLI to support Queer Art Initiatives

In a significant show of support for the LGBTQIA+ community and their artistic endeavors, TD Bank has generously donated $25,000 to the Art League of Long Island (ALLI). The funds will be directed towards the expansion of ALLI’s Queer Art Initiatives, aimed at promoting equal rights, inclusion, and creative expression within the visual art community. The LGBTQIA+ community has long been at the forefront of the fight for equality, and ALLI is proud to celebrate and champion queer artists and artwork. By fostering a safe and inclusive space, ALLI aims to uplift and embrace the LGBTQIA+ community in their artistic journey. TD Bank will make a formal announcement of the donation at the reception for our recent Queer Art Workshops on June 22nd at 6:30pm all are welcome to attend. 

As part of the Queer Art Initiatives, ALLI recently organized a series of three workshops, conducted by queer artist Liv Cocozza,exploring LGBTQIA+ art and literature from the past to the future. These workshops culminate with an exhibition of the artworks created during the program, which will be on display in the Art League’s Strolling Gallery from June 17 to July 29, 2023. The artist received support through a grant from the Huntington Arts Council, while ALLI provided various in-kind services such as marketing, web hosting, facilities, exhibition supplies, and preparator fees.

To commemorate the participants’ achievements and celebrate their artwork, an exhibition reception will be held on June 22, 2023. TD Bank will make a formal announcement of their support at this reception. This event will bring together the instructor, participants, and the wider ALLI community to engage in conversations with the artists and instructor, and to appreciate the creative expressions on display. Notably, Newsday has expressed their intention to cover the final workshop and exhibition, further amplifying the visibility of ALLI’s Queer Art Initiatives.

With the generous support of TD Bank, the Art League plans to expand and scale this project throughout the remainder of 2023 and 2024. The expansion will encompass three distinct programs designed to empower and uplift the LGBTQIA+ community:

1. LGBTQIA+ Create Nights: ALLI will organize a series of free monthly two-hour workshops, providing youth, teens, and young adults with a safe space to gather and create art. By offering these workshops free of charge, the Bank enables equal accessibility to art education for this previously marginalized community. Participants will be given prompts for new artwork or have the opportunity to work on existing pieces under the guidance of the instructor. The artworks created during these sessions will be showcased in an exhibition at ALLI’s Strolling Gallery from June to August 2024.

2. Queer Youth Mentorship Program: ALLI will launch a mentorship program aimed at four qualified high school students. This program will enable the selected students to develop their artistic skills, voice, narrative, and the impact of their art in relation to their identities. A qualified mentor from the LGBTQIA+ community will lead the program, facilitating skill-building and engaging in constructive conversations surrounding LGBTQ themes. In collaboration with the Art League, one student will also receive a scholarship to access specific mediums not available in their school. The culmination of the program will be a group exhibition showcasing the students’ portfolios at the ALLI Strolling Gallery from June to August 2024.

3. Pride Month Festival: ALLI proposes to host a day-long Pride Festival in June 2024, celebrating Long Island’s queer visual art community. The festival will feature three free artist workshops, music, and entertainment. ALLI has partnered with Colored Colors for previous cultural festivals and will collaborate once again to combine art, music, and community. Workshops on silkscreen or linocut printmaking, videography, and fiber arts crafts will be offered, allowing participants to explore queer activism, storytelling through videos, and discuss identities and togetherness through loom-based crafts. The exhibition of artwork created during the Create Nights and the Mentorship Program in the Strolling Gallery will serve as the focal point of a reception during the festival.

The impact of TD Bank’s generous funding is immense. It empowers queer youth from Long Island, Brooklyn, and Queens by providing them with a safe space to create art, collaborate with professional artists and mentors, receive unencumbered support from the artistic community, and exhibit their artwork in a professional setting. While there are numerous nonprofit organizations providing social services to the queer community, there are none on Long Island that provide this type of safe and supportive artistic outlet and expression. By providing an opportunity to celebrate this community, the ALLI will poise itself as the leading artistic center on Long Island, raising awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues, fostering community support, and encouraging acceptance through various artistic outlets.

For more information about ALLI’s Queer Art Initiatives and their upcoming events, please visit www.artleagueli.org