Before any of the presenting organizations and schools of the arts that now enrich the cultural life on long Island, NSCAC began in Roslyn in 1948 and flourished in Great neck from 1960 to 1983.
It brought to the community the best in music, dance, theater, cabaret, film and the visual arts. Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor Ruth Laredo, Alexander Calder, Harold Clurman, Elizabeth Swados and many others brought their artistry to NSCAC. The School of the Arts was legend and offered instruction by artists such as Merce Cunningham and Carol Fijian. It ran 150 classes taught by 40 instructors in art, photography, dance, music, dramatics, etc.
In 1978, NSCAC sold its building at 236 Middle neck Road and moved to St. Paul’s Church. Here classes and performances of the same quality continued until 1983. No longer a Center, the Board was determined to continue of supporting the arts and artists. It co- sponsored concerts, dance programs, offered grants, had art tours and presented a gala banquet each February to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
Since 1983, NSCAC has presented Certificates of Merit and Plaques to graduating seniors in North Shore High Schools who have excelled in the arts. The Morton Gould, Lenore Chapman and Eugene Brusiloff, and Rebecca Levy awards go to students who have been recognized for their talent in music. Since 2009, one student in North High School, and one student in South High School are recognized for their proficiency in poetry…the Rhea L. Poserow award. There is also a Special Achievement Award for the one student in his/her school who has excelled more than any others in the Arts.
The awards this year from Great Neck South High School go to:
Elena Zhang… Rhea L. Poserow Award for Poetry(plaque)
Kathy Chan and Lauren Kim …Opera( certificate)
Katherine Wang…………….Band(certificate)
Laura An………Orchestra(certificate)
Sophia Woman…Eugene Brusiloff Award in Brass(plaque)
Dana Siong Sin …Lenore Chapman Award (plaque)
Ella Li….Special Achievement Award in Music(plaque)
Derek Yu…Art(certificate)
Victoria Monroy and Ross Williams …Drama (certificate)
Gabriella Sanchez…Dance(certificate)
The awards this year from North High School go to:
May Tun…Rhea L. Poserow Award for Poetry(plaque) One of May’s poems will follow below.
Trinity Wu…Dance(certificate)
Sara Rafaeil..Special Achievement Award (plaque)
Samantha Becker…Vocal music(certificate)
Christopher Yang…Vocal Music(certificate)
Tiantian Wei…Music(certificate)
Sahar Tartak…Lenore Chapman Award(plaque)
Joshua Li…Morton Gould Award for Composing/Conducting (plaque)
Shifan He…Rebecca Levy Award(plaque)
Here is one of May’s poems:
an end to a phone call
hide behind the red white and blue
i am comfortable behind democracy
ignore the yellow, green and red
they are not comfortable behind steel bars
hide behind a screen
twitter hashtags
facebook messages
flipping through pictures
praying that your face isn’t one of them
550.
550 and counting.
bodies pushed into trucks
limbs out of windows
a pink pacifier lies on the street
with a long red trail behind it
guns shooting
feet running
ears ringing
