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Arts & Entertainment

National Art League Awards Its Students

Douglaston Gallery Holds Reception In Honor of Artists Enrolled In Its Classes

Douglaston's National Art League opened its door to the public last weekend for an annual reception and awards ceremony that honored local artists for their works in watercolors, oils and mixed media.

The exhibit, which will be on display through the end of January, showcased selected pieces of work by students from each of the league’s numerous classes. 

Anne Bragg, an executive board member and teacher at the league, picked one of 69 pieces of work submitted by the artists that she deemed to be most unique. Her choice determined which league student would be honored at this year's ceremony.

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A total 22 students received awards of merit with ribbons and certificates, while another two received monetary awards for excellence.

Bayside resident Joanne Fogarty is a recent student of the league. Despite being an art major in college, she said she had not painted in more than 30 years. 

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But with the encouragement of her family, Fogarty decided to take a class at the League five months ago. In that short period of time, she has managed to create one of the two blue ribbon pieces displayed at this year’s exhibit.

Her painting, “Secret Garden,” received the award of excellence. Fogarty said this was her first time working with a pallet knife rather than a brush. Although it was an experiment for her, she said she was compelled by the method.

“It reminds me of a place I want to be," she said of her piece, which is a reproduction of a photograph taken from a friend's vacation in Vermont. "It is peaceful, serene and meditative."

Merit award winner Evelyn Besso, who has been a student at the league for nearly 12 years, said the inspiration behind her piece, “Storm at the Sea,” came from an occurrence she experienced one day while having lunch with her husband in Freeport.

She watched as a nearby boat slowly sunk and captured the moment in pictures. The following day, she created a reproduced version of the picture using water colors.

One of the league’s long-time members, Eleanor Binder, received the second award of excellence for her piece, “Teatime.”

Binder recalls starting the piece a few months ago and not having any idea where she was taking it.

“I didn’t have anything in mind,” she says.

After two sessions of class at the league, Binder decided to take her piece home, which is atypical of her creative process. She began “experimenting with shapes" until the piece "started to look like something.”

“After I put several shapes on the canvas, it just came to me," she said. "As I looked at it, I saw people - I saw two ladies. It told me what to do. I had nothing in mind, it was just shapes. But as I looked at it, it took on a life of its own, the shapes took [their] own form. The shapes told me what to do. It started with a little shape, and then the color took over."

The acrylic painting, which depicts two women having tea, is now displayed in the league’s window.

League President Marie Marsina, who also received a merit award, expressed her gratitude for all that attended the ceremony and for the continued works of each of the artists and students of the league.

“I am very proud of all the students," she said. "I think this is a marvelous show. They really did a great job."

The National Art League is located on 44-21 Douglaston Parkway. The student exhibition will be on display through the end of the month.

On Jan. 31, the league will launch its small works exhibit.

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