Merokeans Honored at Advocates for the Arts Gala

The Long Island Arts Council at Freeport kicked off their inaugural 2012 Outstanding Advocates for the Arts event at the Bellmore Movie Theater.

According to Tracey Gittere, event chairperson, it’s a way of giving back to those who form the cornerstone of creativity in our community.

“This is a new, annual event where we honor individuals making a difference in the betterment of the arts on Long Island,” she said. “The Long Island Arts Council has created this amazing first-time event to honor individuals from all sorts of arts- music, theater, fine arts, TV, film, photography, writing...anything, really.”

Along 23 others, Robert Angelillo, a Merrick resident and a member of the law firm of Meyer, Suozzi, English, and Klein of Garden City as well as Debra Markowitz, a North Merrick resident and the executive director of the Nassau County Film Commission, were honored.

Angelillo was honored for chairing the Arty Party 2011 – the organization's major fundraiser.

The honor bestowed upon him only made Angelillo wish to redouble his efforts in the upcoming year.

“It feels fantastic...they’re a great organization, and I’ve worked with them for almost a year now,” he said. “I’m very happy to be recognized by them.”

According to Gittere, Markowitz was key in bringing major motion picture productions to Long Island.

“She’s worked with Steve Guttenberg, Danny Aiello and Ralph Macchio and she’s brought these Long Islanders back to Long Island to help bring the arts to the people,” she said.

For Markowitz, the arts are one of the driving forces of her life and being featured in the awards ceremony goes a long way to justifying all her hard work.

“It’s great...the Arts Council is a well-respected organization, so it’s quite an honor to have them recognize the work that I do,” she said. “Supporting the arts is important because it makes life worth living.”

Marnie Katzman, executive director of the Long Island Arts Council at Freeport, said that this event is yet another milestone in her organization’s long and important history.

“We were founded in 1974,” she said. “We’re an integral part of the art community, and tonight is the night where we honor those who have contributed to the arts. It’s new, it’s creative, it’s fun...we’re always trying to find new ways to bring people into the arts, new ways to raise money.”