The Art Guild Holds Garden Party and Awards Ceremony for 2015 Members Showcase Exhibit

The Art Guild celebrated the opening of its 2015 Members Showcase Exhibition on May 17, 2015. Guests were treated to a Garden Party Reception on Elderfields’ sunny patio, complete with live music by Chris Kinnear. In addition to announcing the awards for the exhibit, the Terri Shkuda Award for Broadening Creative Pursuits was awarded to member, Eileen Shea Neville of Port Washington. The exhibit, featuring a variety of styles and mediums showcases 54 member artists. The show will be on view through Sunday, June 28, 2015. Gallery hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 1 - 5 pm or by appointment.

Artist Gregg Kreutz was the juror-of-awards for this exhibition. Commenting that it was difficult to choose a winner from such an outstanding group, he said that he is inspired by paintings with a strong sense of light and shadow or a lot of paint on the canvas executed in a free-spirited way. First Place was awarded to Frances Ianarella for her oil painting “Pussy Willows in a Ginger Jar,” Second Place was awarded to Margo Vignola for her oil painting, “Patagonia,” and Third Place was awarded to Annette Priomos for her oil painting, ”Recycled.“ Honorable Mentions went to Diane Kaufmann for her pastel painting, “Idyllic Crete,” John Pulinat for his oil painting, “A Still Life with the Hurricane ,” and Pam Tarica for her oil painting, “Late Afternoon.”

Gregg Kreutz is an award winning painter and author of the classic artist’s guide, Problem Solving for Oil Painters. After graduating from NYU, he pursued his training as a painter at the Art Students League of New York, winning a merit scholarship. He studied with Frank Mason, Robert Beverly Hale and most significantly, David Leffel. Gregg teaches drawing and painting at the Art Students League as well as workshops throughout the US and around the world.

Eileen Shea Neville, recipient of the Terri Shkuda Award, is an artist, watercolor instructor, and former board member. She is an eager and enthusiastic ambassador for The Art Guild who generously volunteers her time while carrying out our mission to educate and encourage people to broaden their creative pursuits. This spring, Eileen volunteered to be The Art Guild’s liaison for the Plant-A-Row for the Hungry program. She tirelessly organized flower pot-painting sessions while designing and painting many of them herself. Through the Long Island Interclub Platform Tennis League, of which she is also a part, Eileen arranged for The Art Guild to be the recipient of the proceeds from this year’s annual awards and fundraiser luncheon. Eileen also teaches Watercolor (Intermediate and Up) at The Art Guild on Wednesday mornings.

The founder of The Art Guild, Terri Shkuda, generously funds the Terri Shkuda Award for Broadening Creative Pursuits. The award is presented at the Guild‘s Annual Membership Exhibit to the person who best epitomizes the four principles of the organization’s mission statement: Encouragement, Education, Exploration and Exhibition.

Please join us at The Art Guild – take a class, participate in an exhibition, come to a lecture, volunteer your time, attend a workshop, or setup an easel on our lovely grounds and paint. Please check The Art Guild website and Facebook page throughout the year for information about our exciting programs and events.

The Art Guild is located at Nassau County’s Elderfields Preserve, 200 Port Washington Blvd., Manhasset New York. For more information please call 516.304.5797, email info@theartguild.org or visit our website: www.TheArtGuild.org. The Art Guild is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization.

Photo 1: Eileen Shea Neville (second from the left) accepts the Terri Shkuda award from (left to right) Diane Bares, Executive Director, The Art Guild,; Kathy Shkuda; Shelley Holtzman, Co-President, The Art Guild; Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, County Legislator; and Ilene Silberstein, Co-President, The Art Guild; at The Art Guild’s 2015 Members Showcase Garden Party Reception at Elderfields, Sunday, May 17, 2015 (Photo Credit: Susan Herbst)

Photo 2: Frances Ianarella with the first place award for her oil painting “Pussy Willows in a Ginger Jar,” at The Art Guild’s 2015 Members Showcase, Sunday May 17, 2015 at Elderfields Preserve, Manhasset, NY. (Photo credit: Jeff Holtzman)