The Manhasset Public Library is presenting a multimedia exhibition by the Long Island Black Artists Association celebrating their 50th anniversary as a group, and honoring Black History Month. The library is located at 30 Onderdonk Ave., Manhasset. This exhibition opened in February and will be on view until Saturday, March 23. Contact the library at 516-627-2300 for viewing hours at the gallery.
The Long Island Black Artists Association was founded in 1968 by a small group of artists; namely, James Counts, Ernest Snell, Raymond Miles and Charles Winslow. The purpose of the association is to help African-American artists to find a conduit for the exhibition of their work. To that end it has continually sought new venues for exhibiting the work of its members locally, nationally and internationally and has also encouraged the artist’s individual efforts to find recognition.
The organization has also had other goals. They wish to provide an atmosphere of fellowship in which professional and semi professional artists can exchange ideas, techniques and mutual support in the field of visual arts. They also strive to discover potential talent, provide a cultural service to the community and offer a “sensitive environment” for the cultural expression of the larger African-American community.
The Association is the only such supportive group in the Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Throughout the years, the association has exhibited in many museums, galleries, colleges, universities, libraries, churches and corporations throughout the country. The works of individual members are in collections in the U.S.A., Canada, the Caribbean, Africa and Europe.
