Arts League combines two popular events

The Island Now

This fall, the Art League of Island has combined two popular events into one, the recently introduced Friday Try-Days with a long-running favorite evening event called Art After Dark. 

For several years now, Art After Dark has provided a fun evening of visual arts and socializing in the Art League’s spacious Elizabeth S. Livingston art center.  

Visitors can get a good look at the exhibit in the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, or go to the art studios to see “pop-up” exhibits by local artists, view art demonstrations by Art League Instructors, and enjoy live music.  Anyone can come in and enjoy the evening since Art After Dark is free and open to the general public.

Friday Try-Days were introduced in the spring to give people a chance to “test the waters” and try out a workshop in the course of a three-hour evening.  

Prices are nominal at $35 per person, $30 if one RSVP’s in advance.  Workshop participants get to take home a finished work of art at the end of the evening and all materials are included. 

This fall, visitors to the center get the best of both worlds, with free art demonstrations beginning at 6:30 p.m. and Try-Days workshops beginning at 7 p.m.  Visitors can spend a few hours taking in the gallery exhibit, pop-up exhibits, viewing the free art demonstrations, and enjoying live music or maybe even open-mic poetry readings.  

Or, visitors can mingle and view a demo before heading to a workshop.  Those who enjoy the free demo can come back the following month and take the three-hour workshop at the next Try-Days /Art After Dark. 

The next Try-Days /Art After Dark on Nov. 13 will feature live art demonstrations by Anu Annam (Watercolor), David Peikon (Oil Painting), and Suzanne Young (Charcoal/Pastel Painting).  They will be presenting their workshops at the December 11 event in addition to Dana Neger Lagos’ Jewelry workshop.  Workshops on tap for November 13 are “Icicle Pendant” (Jewelry) with Dana Neger Lagos, “Painting Pollock” with Kevin Larkin, “Discovering Pastels” with Joel Spector, and “Painting with Photoshop” (Computer Graphics) with David Miller. 

One exception to the fall line-up is the return of the traditional Art After Dark on Oct. 30 to welcome the long-awaited return of renowned English watercolorist Jean Haines.  Her workshops are full, but those who attend this Art After Dark can get a rare glimpse of Haines in action in her free public demonstration and book signing.  David Miller will once again be leading his Halloween Interactive Extravaganza.  Live music and refreshments will be available.

The Art League of Long Island is a not-for-profit visual arts center serving the area since 1955.  The Art League hosts a dozen different exhibits each year by contemporary local artists, offers those ages 5 and up more than 240 different visual arts classes and workshops in a variety of mediums, presents art and craft fairs, and hosts various lectures and other events. 

For more information about upcoming Try-Days/Art After Dark events call 631-462-5400 or visit www.artleagueli.org.

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