DIRECTOR’S CORNER

"“Fresh activity is the only means of overcoming adversity.”"
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

March 3, 2021

Dear Art League Family and Friends,

It’s nothing short of amazing that we are still afloat a year after closing last March. Although we are operating somewhat in a very limited sense, it’s because of you that we’re still here!

Your generous donations totaled over one hundred twenty-eight thousand dollars. Thanks to you, these remarkable gifts allowed us to take the building off the market, at least for now!  It’s a huge relief! However, the reality is the Art League’s precarious financial condition hangs in the balance.

The 2021 Spring Appeal must raise the next one hundred thousand dollars to cover operating expenses in order to stay afloat. Your generous donations and heartfelt communications make it clear how much the Art League means to you.  Fundraising in 2021 and 2022 will be very different from the usual appeals and events prior to the pandemic. The Art League will be in survival mode for a very long time.  With your support, we will exist under very difficult circumstances until we can truly say recovery is in our future.

Out of every crisis comes change and opportunity.  We are creating ways to better use studio space, consolidate processes and schedule classes, events and programs while reducing expenses.  Beginning soon, you will see several new in-person classes reopening with limited enrollment to maintain social distancing.  An in-person Pre-College Development workshop just opened for teens, as well as two new ceramic classes.  The gallery will remain closed for exhibitions and to the public to control building capacity.

More work needs to be done to deepen and grow relationships with our donors.  The 2020 very successful fundraising campaigns that brought in over one hundred twenty-eight thousand dollars came from one third of our membership!  If you have never donated to the Art League, this is the time to show your support. If you are a student with class credits, we’d be grateful if you would consider donating your credits.

Please be as generous as you can to the 2021 Spring Appeal. Donations can be made online or you can mail a check to the Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Rd., Dix Hills, New York 11746.  If you have any inquiries please email us at info@artleagueli.org and we will get back to you. I’m looking forward to keeping you informed about what’s going on at the Art League.

Warmest regards,

Charlee M. Miller
Executive Director

December 30, 2020

Dear Art League Family and Friends,

You’re amazing!  I’m in awe of the many Art League friends, members, students, private foundations, businesses and even folks unknown to us who have come through with support.  Your faith and trust in us makes us work harder every day to recover from the catastrophic damages of the pandemic.  Financial devastation is one thing. Losing the Art League to the ravages of the 2020-21 pandemic would be a tremendous loss to the arts and cultural communities of Long Island. We can’t let it happen.

Thanks to you, we’re moving in the right direction. I’ve asked you to embrace the mission of the Art League and you have done just that. The Art League is the iconic home to Long Island’s creative class. Artists, photographers, designers, dreamers and doers have infused this amazing place with energy, innovation and excitement for decades.  It is the most enviable art center of its kind on Long Island.

Take a look back with me on the video below, “The Art League of Long Island, the Year in Review”. We haven’t reached the 2020-21 Annual Appeal goal of raising fifty thousand dollars yet.  The Annual Appeal is extended into 2021 or until we can make sure that the Art League will survive. We’re not out of the woods yet, it’s going to take time and patience and I need your support.

Donations can be made on the website at www.artleagueli.org or you can mail to Art League of Long Island, 107 East Deer Park Road, Dix Hills, NY 11746.

Donations of appreciated stock may appeal to you. When you donate stock to charity, you’ll generally take a tax deduction for the full fair market value. And because you are donating stock, your contribution and tax deduction may instantly increase over 20%.  If you are age 70 1/2 you may be eligible to make a Qualified Charitable Donation (QCD) with tax benefits to you. Please speak to your financial advisor or accountant.

Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year, Best Wishes,

Charlee Miller

Executive Director