Patchogue Arts Council Mixer Welcomes New Members

Artists and supporters gathered at the Blue Point Brewery this past Tuesday night for a night full of great conversation hosted by the Patchogue Arts Council. The mixer was the council's first membership drive held in order to educate people about the organization and to increase new membership.

Organized by 1st Vice President Beth Giacummo and Recording Secretary Jen Brady, the mixer was a fun way for Arts Council members to mingle with community members and enjoy food, music, and delicious Blue Point beer. Members could also take photos for their member ID's in an old-fashioned barber's chair.

"This is an exciting, fun night, we have a great crowd that came in and we're all pleased," commented Charlie Baker, Treasurer of the Patchogue Arts Council. "It was well-received, a lot of fun and great networking."

The Arts Council held a silent auction featuring artwork from Christian Nicklaus and Dan Lachasz. The auction also included gift baskets donated by Tomar's Tire Store, the Brick House Brewery, the Center for Visual Arts, and KLD Photography and Design. The members-only raffle prize had 8 winners, each winning one case of beer from the Blue Point Brewery. Attendees voted on a new logo for the organization and provided their input on what they'd like to see the Arts Council accomplish in the next year.

"We got tons of donations, everything that was on the table is donated from an artist or local business," said Giacummo. "We have a lot of art-related businesses, which is nice to start bringing them in so they can start getting business for the summer."

Added Brady, "We recognize that the Arts Council is all about community, and we really want to tap into that and take Patchogue forward and really grow that sense of community."

According to Giacummo, about 125 people were in attendance and at least 35-40 people filled out new member forms.

According to Village Trustee Lori Devlin, the Patchogue Arts Council will soon be applying for a grant from the Ford Foundation to assist with funding the Carnegie Library. The foundation recently announced a round of funding for art spaces in the New York Times, and is awarding grants of up to $100,000 for the pre-planning and planning phases of art spaces.

"We're thinking of applying for money for the Carnegie Library because the Village got a commitment from the state for a million dollars from their downtown revitalization fund so that would probably support moving it, but then we need to decide how we're going to design the inside so it can be utilized by the Arts Council and the historical society," said Devlin about the council's plans. "What the arts council would like to do is use it for gallery space and also as a home base for educational outreach, which is still in the planning phases."

Council President Joel Peck has only been in office for 3 months and said he appreciates the opportunity to incite conversation and unite the Patchogue community through the arts. Peck, who has been involved in the Arts Council since its inception, was a part of the restructuring committee and helped organize the council's board.

"We have the opportunity to connect people, not only artists, but communities," said Peck. "I just see the opportunity to bring people together and spark conversation and the creative process. There are lots of other arts councils in the area and they all do a really good job, but I think the Patchogue Arts Council has the opportunity to do something a little different."

As for this particular night, it will be the first of many for the Patchogue Arts Council.

"It's great to see the support and the enthusiasm, even more than the turnout it was the enthusiasm shown in the crowd, which was really motivating," said Peck. "It really keeps you going.

Added Baker, "We're building on momentum. Every event is bigger and better than the one prior."