The Mill Neck Family of Organizations, along with the esteemed Mansions & Millionaires, opened the Signs of
Spring Designers’ Showcase on Saturday, May 2 at the Mill Neck Manor to benefit the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf. The showcase, which is on display through Sunday, June 14, features Mitch Meisner of Meisner
Gallery in Farmingdale and Farmingdale artist Deborah Webbe, along with the work of more than 30 celebrated interior designers and artists. The showcase also features varied boutiques, Anton Media Group-sponsored short lectures by local historians, architects and home decor experts and guided tours.
Webbe believes participating in the showcase as a photographic artist is a fabulous opportunity.
“Supporting Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf brings attention to children and adults who have hearing loss or are deaf,” she said. “For a large part; hearing loss and deafness remains pretty much a silent handicap even today. It’s not something that’s visually apparent to most people and because of this, life-barriers still exist and the battle for equal access still continues.”
In keeping with the theme, Where Art and Design Merge into Signs of Spring, each artist creatively incorporated an American sign language sign into their unique designs.
Webbe’s work in photography and what she represented in her showcase room is all about light and images of nature created which she calls “Chasing the Light.”
“I decided early on when selecting images for the showcase to display a ‘deep-key’ staging that would enhance the feeling of the rich dark oak panels that grace the mansion walls from floor to ceiling,” she said.
“I wanted to present my work in such a way that it actually looked like it belonged there during that time period.”
She uses a special technique when creating her art.
“A lot of my photographs are on canvas, and the technique I use for my canvas work is old. You don’t see much of this around anymore. These images are actually embedded into the canvas using heat and pressure; so from the moment the image is pressed into the canvas it is joined forevermore with the cloth, and what is formed each time becomes a unique creation of photography and art,” she said.
Supporting local artists is important to Webbe.
“Why buy art from a home-store whose products are manufactured overseas when there is a wealth of opportunity for art readily available by local artists at your door step?” she said.
The showcase marks the retirement, after 44 years, of Carole Aronson and Arlene Travis, founders of Mansions & Millionaires, and Meisner wanted to make sure he joined the showcase to commemorate all of the hard work they have done over the years. This year Meisner is showcasing an exclusive Salvador Dalí exhibit of one-of-a-kind originals and prints. Having a total of 20 pieces in the showcase including four original works of art and prints, Meisner is very excited to be participating in the showcase while benefiting the Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf.
“I wanted to bring in a few nice Dali pieces to the showcase. I’m featuring two pieces that have rarely been seen,” he said. “We are featuring a piece called the Hallucinogenic Toreador worked on at Meisner Gallery with Dali in the ‘70s. I wanted to build a showcase around that piece, and that’s what I did.”
The mission of the Mill Neck Family of Organizations is to enhance the quality of life for people who are deaf, or who have other special communication needs, through individually designed educational, vocational or spiritual programs and services. The Mill Neck Manor School for the Deaf serves 49 school districts in Nassau and Suffolk. Nancy Leghart, Director of Advancement at the school said, “This year was especially exciting because the students worked with some of the artists. They are really happy to be part of it. It’s not just about a beautiful mansion, it’s about the beautiful work we do for children and adults.”
Mill Neck Manor is located at 40 Frost Mill Rd. in Mill Neck. The showcase is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $30 (general), $28 (seniors), $26 (groups for 20 minutes) and $7 (children 12 and younger). To purchase tickets, visit www.millneck.org. For more information, call Nancy Leghart at 516-628-4243 or Michelle Yadoo at 516-628-4231.
