For Betsy C. Schreiber, art has always been a form of communication.
That idea is at the center of “Face, Laces, and Far Off Spaces,” a new exhibition of Schreiber’s work now on view through February at the Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center’s artSPACE gallery. The show features paintings, mixed media and poetry by the Long Island-based artist, whose creative life has unfolded alongside a more than four-decade career as a speech-language pathologist.
The exhibition spans abstraction and realism, drawing on landscapes, figure and imagined scenes shaped by memory, movement and emotion. Many of the works are inspired by places Schreiber has encountered on Long Island and beyond, including Garvies Point, Tappen Beach and Youngs Farm.
“Art is a form of communication,” Schreiber said. “When my work connects with someone, we make contact, even if I’m not physically present.”
Schreiber grew up in Miami, where she painted alongside her mother, a portrait and landscape artist who left formal training behind to support her family. Although Schreiber was discouraged from pursuing art professionally, creativity remained a constant presence in her life.
She earned a degree in speech-language pathology and began working in the field in the 1970s, including time in rehabilitation centers and with young children. Early in her career, Schreiber often created her own therapy materials, using collages and illustrations at a time when few commercial resources were available.
“There really weren’t materials back then,” she said. “You had to make your own.”
After moving to Long Island in 1984, Schreiber balanced work, raising four sons and creative pursuits that included quilting, needlework and large-scale glass mosaics. As her children grew older she returned more fully to painting, studying watercolor, oil and portraiture before settling primarily on acrylics.
She has exhibited her work for years in group shows at libraries and community spaces across the North Shore, including Sea Cliff, Glen Head and Locust Valley. She is also a published poet, with two collections, “Shoestrings” and “Collarbones,” that are displayed alongside her artwork at the JCC.
Schreiber said working in acrylic allows her to paint intuitively, letting movement and color guide each piece rather than imposing strict control.
The Sid Jacobson JCC exhibition marks a return to a familiar space for Schreiber, who is a member of the center and previously participated in a group show there.
“’Faces, Laces, and Far Off Spaces’ captures exactly what artSPACE strives to be — a place where personal stories, creative exploration and emotional connection intersect,” said Jaime Teich, associate executive director for marketing and communications and curator of artSPACE. “Betsy’s work encourages viewers to pause, engage thoughtfully and respond, reminding us that art is not just something we observe, but something we experience.”
The exhibition is on view in the JCC’s gallery through the end of February. More information is available at sjjcc.org/artspace.
