By Heather Harrington

A piece by Christian Frederick Nicklaus, who will be featured in the Patchogue Arts Biennial

Ever wanted a place to go and look at fine art, but didn’t want to go through the hassle of taking the train ride into the city? Well, the Patchogue Arts Council is here to change that, by introducing the Patchogue Arts Biennial. This art exhibit is slated to run three weeks and will be the longest-running (and biggest) exhibit Long Island has ever had.

The Biennial was fashioned after the Whitney Museum of American Art exhibit in New York, and will showcase the talents of 44 artists hailing from Brooklyn to the East End. All artists, ranging in age from 25-80, were hand selected by the committee and all bring something different to the table. The exhibit, which will be held in Briarcliffe College’s 12,000 square-foot exhibit hall, will have every medium from charcoal paintings to photography and pencil drawings; installations and conceptual art to art made from non-conventional materials.

The main goal of this Biennial is to not only showcase the talents of local artists, but to also pave the way for Patchogue becoming a place where people come to look at art. According to Beth Giacummo, Biennial chair and committee member, this exhibit is to give established local artists, who usually exhibit elsewhere, an opportunity to showcase their talents in a place where they live. It’s also a great way to showcase contemporary art that isn’t usually found around Long Island. The committee is hopeful that this exhibit will expand the community’s view of the trend, purpose and importance of art in the 21st century.  The Biennial is completely produced by the artists, which also helps set it apart from many other art exhibits.

The Patchogue Arts Council was formed in February 2008 to help serve the community by encouraging the support of visual, literary and performing arts, while also enhancing the public’s appreciation of them. The council is a non-profit organization focused on serving the greater south shore of Brookhaven. This Biennial, the committees first large scale project, is a push to transform Patchogue and surrounding areas into a place for the arts. This free event is backed by Patchogue Arts Council, Briarcliff College, St. Joseph’s College, volunteers and many others.

The Patchogue Arts Biennial will run from October 3 to the 24th at Briarcliff College (225 West Main Street in Patchogue.) Exhibition hours are from noon to 7 p.m. from Monday to Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. More information on this event can be found by visiting, www.patchogueartsbiennial.com.

Can’t make it to the Biennial? That’s all right; check out a few of the other art events coming up on the Island: Garden City Public Library, NWPLI and the Garden City Bird Sanctuary will be hosting a Nature Photography exhibit from October 3 to the 30th that will feature nature inspired photography by the award winning NWPLI (Nature and Wildlife Photographers of Long Island), Sag Harbor is presenting the 17th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival from October 8 through the 12th, and from October 4th to November 1 Smithtown Township Arts Council will be holding the Midnight Oils Juried Art Exhibition which depicts frightening  subject matters in humorous ways, and Oceanside will be home to the unique exhibit, 40 Ounces of Art, in which the only material artists had to use was 40 ounce beer bottles from October 3  to November 3.