Faces of Long Island 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.

‘Trees are my muses; I love how their colors and shapes change with each season.’

Montauk

“I grew up in Manhattan but spent most of my childhood summers in Montauk with my parents. I graduated from the Parsons School of Design and worked as an illustrator for women’s magazines for 18 years. The illustration industry started to become increasingly digital, so I retired in June last year and moved to Montauk.

“I now devote a lot of time to painting. Trees are my muses; I love how their colors and shapes change with each season. I am very involved with the community. I am currently the vice president of the Montauk Artists Association. I was very involved with the restoration of the Depot Art Gallery of Montauk. We repainted and installed a new floor, walls and lights. This gallery has such a fascinating history. It used to be a railroad depot, and when the building was shut down, a jazz musician named Percy Heath, who lived on the East End, convinced the local officials that Montauk needed an arts center.

Having an art center brings the community together especially because we accept various styles of artwork and people of all skill levels can become members.

“In 1998, the building was gifted to the Montauk Artists Association and subsequently became known as the Depot Art Gallery. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Depot Art Gallery and the MAA being in operation, and we are going to celebrate both our past and our aspirations for the future! In honor of Percy’s memory, we are concentrating on having live music at our exhibition openings, and we also want to offer music education opportunities for students of all ages.

“We are also hoping to exhibit artwork by local high school students in May. The Montauk Artists Association also organizes two annual fine art exhibitions called ‘Shows on the Green’ in June and August. At these two outdoor shows, over 70 art exhibitors come from all over the country for three full days to show and sell their work. Right now, the Depot Art Gallery is seasonal, which means that it is only open from mid-May to mid-October. However, we hope to make it a year-round venue. Having an art center brings the community together especially because we accept various styles of artwork and people of all skill levels can become members.”

Interviewed by Meagan Meehan

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