The Art Guild of Port Washington Inc. held their annual members showcase on
Friday, June 9.
This showcase, unlike most of TAG’s exhibits, did not have a theme, rather
allowing all 400 of TAG’s members to submit any work of art they wanted.
This year’s showcase, with 98 submissions, was the largest number of submissions ever
received – the walls of the historic building in which the Art Guild resides overflowed with
beautiful art.
Over 300 guests gathered in The Art Guild’s backyard on June 9 for the
reception to enjoy live music, food, and of course the artwork. This exhibit was sponsored by The Peter and Jeri Dejana Foundation.
The pieces were judged by Joshua Ruff, the co-executive director of the Long Island
Museum of American Art, History & Carriages, and the winners for 2023 were announced.
In first place was Alice Riordan’s piece “The Sage.” Second was Joan Stevens’ “Long
Way Home.” Finally, in third place was Janis Hurley’s “Bison Brawl.”
There were also three honorable mentions: Sabine Jean-Bart’s “Mango Merchant,” David Wollin’s “Mama Paella,” and Angela Classi’s “Greyson.”
Town of North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer De Sena, Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte and state Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti gave all of the winners citations. The artwork of the members showcase is available to be seen on the website or in the gallery until July 15.
Not only were these awards distributed, but the annual Terri Skhuda award was also
given out at the showcase. TAG gives this award each year to an artist that embodies TAG’s
mission: Encouragement, Education, Exploration and Exhibition of the visual arts.
“This person inspires students of all ages to push to their limit of creativity teaching
anything from abstract to realism, and lending their own learning experience into the process.
This person exudes kindness, patience as they generously show their own love of art and passion through teaching,” said program director Tracy Lefkowitz in a speech announcing the winner.
This year, the award was given to Manny Villalobos.
“This award was such an honor and a great surprise. Having the opportunity to teach
students how to use art mediums to express themselves, then to see them execute their techniques is a reward in itself. The stories that are told through art will last beyond our days and leave a footprint of that time,” said Villalobos.
The next Art Guild exhibit will be Art of the Bloom, a floral-inspired show, and
submissions will be accepted until August 21st. Check The Art Guild’s website for more details!
The Art Guild, winner of Blank Slate Media’s Best Art Gallery and Best Art School for 7 years in a row, offers classes and workshops for children, teens and adults year-round.
Visit our website at www.theartguild.org or contact us at 516-304-5797 to register or to learn more about educational opportunities.
TAG is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to creating an inclusive and enriching home for the visual arts education, exploration, and exhibition. It is an organization open to all people with a common goal to advance the visual arts.
