News

June 2022
ISLIP ARTS TAKES HOME 2022 VIDEO ARTS AWARDS from Press Club of Long Island

The Press Club of Long Island held its 2022 Media Awards event on June 2nd at the Melville Marriott Long Island. The Islip Arts Council won two awards in the Arts category for two videos: "Islip Arts Council Gives Brentwood Theatre Students A Special Moment in the Spotlight," and "The Best of The Islip Art Museum's 2-Together Art Exhibition 2021."

The first winning story was part of the 2021 TEENYS virtual celebration of the performing arts by high school theater students in the Town of Islip. Due to COVID limitations, Brentwood High School students did not put on any shows. In order to give seniors one moment in the spotlight, the Islip Arts Council arranged for the students to perform one number just for our cameras. The performance of a number from ONCE UPON THIS ISLAND was brief but its emotional impact on the cast and faculty will last forever.

The second story, 2-Together, was about a virtual art exhibition for the Islip Art Museum in partnership with AARP New York. The show was co-curated by Holly Gordon and Waldo Cabrera. Established artists were asked to partner with young artists and create a work of art. Twenty two couples were interviewed on video about their creative journey. The video that was submitted featured the best interviews of that collection. The thought-provoking virtual exhibition "2-Together" is live on the Islip Arts Youtube Channel and has garnered six thousand views to date.

Representing the Islip Arts Council at the event were members Belinda Rubino and Holly Gordon.

March 2022
Opening Reception for Mother Nature Exhibition

On Saturday, March 6, the Islip Arts Council hosted a reception at the gallery for the exhibiton ''Mother Nature,'' in recognition of women's History Month.

February 2022
The Youth Empowerment Project Exhibition

On Saturday, Feb. 12, the Islip Arts Council hosted a reception at their gallery for seventh-grade art students from Candido Crespo’s class at Ralph G. Reed Middle School in Central Islip.

The Youth Empowerment Art Project, which is sponsored by the Central Islip Civic Council along with the Islip Arts Council, is partially funded by the Suffolk County Youth Bureau Omnibus Grant. The project allows each student to create a painting that represents themselves along with a poem featuring “I am” statements to go along with their painting. The program has been going since 2017 and began as a way for students to express themselves in a helpful and positive way.

Read the story here.

February 2022
What's Coming Up at IAC Featured in the Islip Bulletin

Mariana Dominguez of the Islip Bulletin presents all the upcoming events, concerts and art exhibitions happening at the IAC Gallery overthe next few months.

Read the story here.

december 2021
IAC Masterclass Instuctor Isabella Calisi Wagner Interviewed in the Queens Gazette

The Queens Gazette recently interviewed Isabella Calisi Wagner is an interdisciplinary artist/poet, social activist, and educator. Born and reared in Flushing, she lived in Fresh Meadows for many years before moving to the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Isabella is a member of IAWA (Italian-American Writers Association) and 100 Thousand Poets for Change. Her poetry appears in The Wingless Dreamer Journal, Book of Black and is archived online in the NYPL Pandemic Diaries (2021). Her writings about women sculptors appear on the womensactivism.nyc website.

In addition, her AARP/New York and Islip Arts Council-produced ''Art to Graffiti Poetry'' Master Class series is on the Islip Arts Council website.

Read the story here.

december 2021
IAC Members Holly Gordon and Ward Hooper on Newsday's ''Faces of Long island''

Newsday recently interviewed Holly Gordon, photographer and member of the Islip Arts Council, and Ward Hooper, painter and member, for ''Faces of Long Island.'' This feature celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

Read the story here.

December 2021
The Islip Arts Council and The Argyle Theatre Give Brentwood Students a Dramatic Experience

The Islip Arts Council (IAC) and The Argyle Theatre at Babylon Village treated Brentwood High School drama students to a performance of ‘Elf the Musical’, the sparklejollytwinklejingley-est musical of the holiday season! As part of IAC’s effort to expand access to the arts for kids in underserved communities, the students were invited to enjoy the musical and participate in a Q&A session with the cast and crew.

Read story here on Broadway and Main.

Read story here in the Islip Bulletin.

december 2021
Spotlight on IAC Member and Teacher Emily Blair

The Islip Bulletin recently interviewed Emily Blair, a local student/entrepreneur and member of the Islip Arts Council, who turned her hobby into a successful small business that gives back to nonprofits. After watching a popular online video about no-hook hand crocheting blankets, she decided to give it a try and enjoyed it so much she continues to make blankets with a purpose. Read her story here.

Emily is teaching a “No Hook Hand Crocheting” class at the Islip Arts Council Gallery in the Westfield South Shore Mall. She is running two sessions of the class on Dec. 4 and 5 from 2 to 5 p.m. Blair said, she wants to share her tips and tricks that she wished she had known when starting out.

november 2021
IAC President Waldo Cabrera wins an emmy

july 2021
gallery opening

july 2021
LI Press Club Award