Thank you for supporting the Art League of Long Island. I am incredibly grateful for your generous donations as we flourish to the levels we saw pre-pandemic. Thanks to you we’re making progress towards our 2023 fundraising goal of $100,000 – and we are halfway there! The 2023 Annual Appeal is more important and necessary than ever. Please be as generous as you can so that we can continue to be impactful – to ensure that we continually inspire today’s youth, creating a safe space where tomorrow’s artists thrive.

The Mission – The annual appeal will fund unrestricted working capital to support the Art League’s mission. The Art League’s mission is the promise we live by; it’s the reason we exist. Since 1955, artists, teachers and dreamers have come for inspiration. Children and adults of all ages and abilities develop their artistic skills. Outreach programs bring art to underserved communities. Artists are rewarded in first-class fine arts exhibitions.

The Impact is seen in each of our students. Meet three of our young artists who are thriving because of ALLI. And because of your support. Meet Leo H., Age 8: Leo has taken Creative Cartooning at ALLI for 3 sessions under Instructor Lori Hochberg. Leo loves his classes, where he says he made new friends while he expresses himself, and “figures out my art style.” When he first started, he said he did not fully understand how to draw a face for his characters. Now, “I am really able to get focused on the eyes,” he says as he shows me his most recent character, Ancient Blaze. Says Mom, Alina, “It’s so important to have a class where children are working alongside other children, without competition.” Leo’s developed more confidence, not only in his drawing skills but also outside of the classroom, as he has developed a new sense of community with like-minded peers.

Meet Maggie M., Age 17: Maggie studied under Instructor Margaret Minardi in Pre-College Portfolio classes for three years, including the summer Intensive program, and under Instructor Amy Tischler for one year of Ceramics. Her “Pizzeria Sink ” was exhibited in our Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery in 2021. When asked to give her 30 second pitch about ALLI, she responded, “I wouldn’t even know where to start, there are too many good things to say.” But she can easily speak to the inspiration she received from her instructors to pursue her passion and to achieve her goals; the new appreciation of the world she sees; and the social side of her personality she discovered, all while taking classes in our studios. “Once you start with art, you view the world in a different perspective; it’s prettier.” Her next stop? To the State University of New York at New Paltz for her degree in either English or Philosophy with a Minor in Art.

Meet Lilli C., Age 21: Lilli began taking classes at the Art League when she was a youth artist, and remembers with fondness her youth ceramics, teen anime, and additionally an adult metalsmithing class with Instructor Dana Lagos. She is currently a senior at Oklahoma State University, majoring in Studio Art with a focus on oil painting and drawing. Her “Menstruation” was exhibited in the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery this summer. Says Lilli, “At a young age, the Art League taught me that I wanted to pursue art; that there were options for me.” We are a community hub to her, where she knows people with whom she has grown up. The arts energize her to go to work; the arts create a positive momentum for her to follow her passion and to pursue her dreams. What’s next for Lilli? Earning her MFA, and becoming a teacher where she can instill her enthusiasm for the arts in others, either at the high school or college level. To inspire the Leo’s and Maggie’s in the next generation. To ensure that art is kept alive.

The Vision – Our vision is to attract, inspire, teach and awaken the hearts and minds of all who long to immerse themselves in a community where art is a fundamental part of life. To fulfill the vision, we must continue to renew and refresh our programs and exhibitions, and most importantly, continue to build a stronger philanthropic community. We want nothing more than to be the viable organization the Art League deserves to be; one where future artists begin their journey, and where the community encourages and supports them along their way. One that has become the most enviable art center of its kind on Long Island. With your help, we will make it happen. If you don’t support the Art League and our future artists, who will?

Warmest regards for a happy and healthy holiday season.

Sincerely,

Marianne Della Croce

Executive Director