2017 Annual Appeal Challenge: Goal $25,000

Dear Art League Family,

This is the most difficult Annual Appeal letter I have written since becoming Executive Director of the Art League of Long Island five years ago. This year, with a genuine sense of urgency, I’m asking for your support to help fund the development of a much needed new website and database management system.

The 2017 Annual Appeal Challenge is a call to action. The Art League needs to raise $25,000 to begin the process of replacing its outdated website and database management system. The website is the “store front” of the Art League, the door to the treasures inside. The database management system is the engine that drives the business. It allows us to manage revenues, expenses and financial reports; customer and donor contacts; membership and registration; scheduling of classes, events and exhibits; and marketing data. Both legacy systems are labor-intensive and inefficient. Despite being continuously updated and patched, both systems are obsolete. The new systems will enable the Art League to improve our efficiency and customer service, lower our costs, and ultimately increase tuition revenues.

We’ve done our homework. Over the past two years we’ve conducted diligent research, met with developers, test-drove practice systems, spoke with other not-for-profits and gathered the intelligence needed to make this prudent technology decision. Unfortunately, revenues currently generated from the Art League’s operations will not cover the estimated $25,000 startup cost of a new website and database. But with your help we will reach the $25,000 goal. Here’s how…

The 2017 Annual Appeal ends three months from December 1, 2017. Please make a donation today at www.artleagueli.org or by calling Bobbie Janowitz at 631-462-5400 ext. 227. Your tax-deductible gift will make a huge difference in allowing the Art League to purchase the technology it so desperately needs. Thank you for your continued support!

My warmest regards,

Charlee Miller

Executive Director

Art League of Long Island

We are excited to have in the gallery an exhibit featuring the purses, handbags, and minaudieres by fashion icon Judith Leiber and the modernist abstract artwork by her husband Gerson Leiber. The couple share an amazing energy and love of the arts, and the exhibit captures their story in the aptly titled “Passion for Fashion: of Purses and Paintings”. If you haven’t done so already, please take a stroll through the gallery – it’s a treat for the eyes. You don’t need to go to the Smithsonian to see their work, it’s right on display in our gallery! For an extra treat on a Sunday afternoon, consider purchasing a ticket to attend the special reception. Details are below.

The fall session is well under way, the studios are bustling with painters, potters, jewelers, sculptors, printmakers, photographers… in short all kinds of artists. The next round of more than 170 classes and workshops are starting up, so register today to ensure your spot. Registering couldn’t be easier, just “thumb” through the pages of the virtual catalog below, find what you like and register right off the page. Going green couldn’t be easier and more convenient. If you have any questions, you can always call the registration desk during office hours.

With the fall season it’s also “Best of” season. The Art League is a finalist in Mommy Poppin’s contest as “Best Place for Kids’ Art Classes. Multi-talented Art League instructor Patricia Shih has been nominated as “Best Kindie Band”. AND…We are proud to announce that our own Andrea Manning, the Art League’s Program Coordinator and practicing artist, has been nominated in the Bethpage Best of Long Island’s contest in the “Best Artist/Painter” category. Please show your support and vote often!!

Enjoy the Indian Summer!

Best,

Charlee Miller

Executive Director

Art League of Long Island