Spirit of Huntington Art Center Partners with Optimum to Host Veteran’s Art Exhibition

On the morning of Thursday, November 10, 2022, a breakfast reception was held to celebrate Veterans Day and to honor the veteran community. Hosted by Optimum and in partnership with The Spirit of Huntington Art Center, a “Veterans Art Exhibition” was launched. The breakfast represented the successful collaboration of a community art organization, a major corporation, and a hospital serving our veterans within the community.

The artwork in the exhibit was created during the pandemic by Veterans at the Northport VA. As a population hit hardest during Covid, Veterans were often isolated from each other and their families. Through the generous financial support from Optimum and the talent, dedication, and encouragement of The Spirit of Huntington, veterans were provided an eight week art education series. The classes were held virtually and successfully lifted the veterans’ spirits, transporting them from their isolation and enabling them to create meaningful artwork.

Lynda Page and Katherine Poppe from the VA worked with these veterans directly during each lesson and emphasized how “it made a difference in their lives.” As the attendees moved about the exhibit, they chose their favorites and praised each piece.

Jeffrey Rosenking, the Leader of the Military Family of Altice, welcomed the attendees and commented that this particular date made the exhibit all the more relevant, “as this date coincides with the inception of the U.S. Marines.” As he discussed the importance of the exhibition, he emphasized “this is just the beginning!”

Michael Kitakis, Executive Director of The Spirit of Huntington, shared with the crowd that “creative expression transforms lives.” This statement represents the heart of the many ArtAbility classes offered at the Art Center.

The Exhibition is open to the public and will be displayed at the Optimum store, 1101 Stewart Ave, Bethpage, NY 11714 now through November 21, 2022. Following that date, the Exhibition will go “on tour.” The next stop is the Winter Wonderland held at the Spirit of Huntington on December 2, 2022 from 10:00am to 12:00pm .

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