Surrounded by the beauty and aroma of flora, the Greater Westbury Art Council’s Art Show at Hicks Nursery hosted a variety of guests and artists last week. Each visitor, along with the council’s members and recognized artists, was joined in common bond at the show’s opening reception on Thursday, April 16.
Located at the entrance of the showcase was a craft booth, where guests could fabricate layered paper flowers with co-recording Secretary of the Westbury Art Council, Maureen Baranov. These colorful crafts were a bright and inventive way of introducing the art show’s theme: a correlation of Hicks Nursery’s 25th anniversary of their annual flower show and imagery of flowers.
Last year’s art show promoted more physical art, including sculptures, musical performances and videography, while this year’s focus, according to president of the council Chrissy Lorusso Shelley, highlighted watercolor, mixed media and photography on stretched canvases.
“There’s lots of opportunities, and Hicks is such an institution for Long Island,” Shelley said. “This is in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the flower show, and it worked well last year with the art show—it’s mutually beneficial.”
Members of the art council were there as volunteers for the event, handing out information about the show, the council itself and speaking with patrons about the work of the organization. Chet and Dyan Barton, founding members of the council, said that there have been nearly 50 paid memberships within the group from their first year alone.
Beyond the doors of the learning center, individual metal pillars were garnished with all types of art, from photography to watercolor and more. LED spotlights helped illuminate each piece in the showcase, which accentuated their beauty and importance even more. There were refreshments for each person, including prosciutto skewers, braided bread sticks and bottles of red and white wine. The musical group, Au Privave, provided live entertainment, which delightfully accompanied the art with acoustic guitar and wind instruments. Promenading around the showcase were various local artists whose work was proudly displayed, including Margaret Casella, whose photograph titled “Black Turnips” won first place in the international Black and White Spider Awards; Bob Ferguson, a current retiree who has displayed his art all over Long Island; and Zelda Tanenbaum, a local artist renowned for her quilts as well as her paper making. Nearly every artist at the show boasted a hefty 20 years or more under their belt for their artistry, and each piece was submitted to the council for acceptance prior to the show.
Ferguson mentioned what most had thought of the arts council before the near end of the reception, “It’s such a nice organization—it has introduced me to people I wouldn’t normally meet.” Shelley made a similar remark, noting that, “This council brings people together who are passionate about Westbury and the arts, like myself. I can honestly say these are some of the best people I’ve ever met, and couldn’t imagine my life without them now.”
The Westbury Arts Council will host its next event on May 16 at the Piazza in Westbury, where local artists can participate in an “ArtMart” and sell their crafts and artwork.
