What Does the Art League Mean to You?

Dear ALLI Community,

Right now, we are in the heart of our Pre-College Portfolio Development program at ALLI, and watching these young adults come together in the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery reminds me to think about how the arts provide us with what we need, when we need it.  Margaret Minardi, our Portfolio instructor during the school year, has said that ALLI provides her students with a safe space where they can go from being strangers to classmates to friends for life; where they can encourage learning and support for each other, and where they can draw inspiration from other like-minded teens.

I often think about how we worked our way through the pandemic.  When some of you ask me about why I came aboard here at ALLI, my answer is the following: during quarantine, you either survived, or you thrived.  Quite frankly, I just survived.  But it was through my participation in arts programs that I was able to survive.  Being spontaneously creative allowed me to find joy, peace, and expression during those months, and now, even beyond that time.  And that to me is why places like ALLI are so integral to the community.  We offer anyone the opportunity to be the artist they want to be, and that helps them in so many more ways than we can count…socially, mentally, or spiritually.

And so, tell me, what does the Art League provide for you?  A place of solace; a place to view beautiful art; a place to make new friends?  A place to create; a place to be inspired; a place to learn something new?  All of the above?

There are two ways you can ensure that ALLI keeps on providing what we need from it.  One is by becoming a new member or renewing your membership.  Your membership not only gives you a discount on your class tuition, but also guarantees you one entry into the Members Exhibition and discount on booth fees as a Holiday Fair exhibitor.  The other way is by enrolling in our Automatic Recurring Gifts Program (ARGP).  Your recurring donation provides ALLI with revenue to fund our programs, make needed improvements to our studios, and purchase supplies for our exhibitions.

Thank you again for all of your support.  I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming exhibition reception for our Pre-College students on August 13th and our Open House on August 20th…two times during this month where we can come together to celebrate what ALLI means to our community, all of the above.

Best,

Marianne Della Croce
Executive Director

Dear ALLI Community,

Thank you for all of your support – your donations, membership renewals, and tuition dollars have always provided the Art League of Long Island with the revenue needed to host exciting exhibitions, offer classes which spark your curiosity, and provide much needed repairs to our building and our studios.

Many of you ask when we are going to “return back to normal.” And I am writing to you to say…not quite yet. Take a look. The first chart shows where we stood pre- Covid: open seven days a week, four nights a week, with a full roster of classes to offer. The second chart shows ALLI during the heart of the pandemic. Because of you, we were able to keep the lights on and the doors open, and bring back our core classes. Thank you. We would not have remained open without you. The final graph shows where we stood last year: still pulling through our recovery. And so, ALLI needs your continued support!

Let’s continue to see the forest through the trees. Your membership dollars are so important! Your tuition registrations drive our income – make sure to sign up for your favorite instructor or class! And finally, consider donating to our recurring gift program.

Thank you again for all of your support: past, present and future! I look forward to the time when we can look back on these years and say to each other, “We did it… together!”

Best,

Marianne Della Croce

Executive Director