Executive Suite: Regina Gil, Gold Coast Arts Center

Next month, the Great Neck Arts Center officially becomes the Gold Coast Arts Center -- a rebranding to reflect a larger regional focus, and quite an evolution since the arts program was conceived on a kitchen table by founder and executive director Regina Gil in 1986.

Now offering a film festival and a full palette of arts programs, lectures, classes and outreach programs from Queens to Freeport, the center has plans to partner with other art venues and programs in the region and apply for new grants.

Gil, a visual artist, credits her experiences at The High School of Music & Art in Manhattan (the one made famous by the movie "Fame") with giving her a vision for the art center.

"My mission in life has been to showcase all of the arts in the most positive and integrated fashion -- integrating the arts into education and people's daily lives, into a community," she said.

Then-Assemb. Tom DiNapoli helped her gain her first $10,000 grant in 1989, and from there, she networked her way to a building and a full arts program. This year, the Town of North Hempstead agreed to buy the center's 10,000-square-foot building and contribute $150,000 toward its arts programming, charging the group $1 per year in rent.

How will things change for you when you give up ownership of the building to the town?

I won't have to pay off the mortgage every month, the repairs to the roof won't be on my head and I can turn to the town to help market our programs to the residents. They have a newsletter that goes out to 450,000 people.

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How are the arts doing? Many companies have cut arts and education out of their giving profile.

Justifiably. In a world where there is hunger and children suffering, you turn your attention to other things. I can't save a child's life, but I can make it better once it's saved. We live in a country where the New York City Ballet is in danger; where arts groups are closing their doors at the rate of 10,000 a year. That's terrifying to me.

What do you say to get well-known artists to support you?

I tell them we have kids that have to be educated; that have to get this. Because if they don't, then instead of a paintbrush or instrument in that kid's hand, you're going to have a gun, a knife or a fist. The arts are a civilizing and refining entity.

How did you convince businesses and politicians that an art program was needed?

I would say if you don't support the arts, you run the risk of having a society made up of people who don't have any understanding of the things that enrich living, the things that help you understand subjects, like politics. Without a sense of creativity you can't problem-solve.

How do you network?

There's nothing that we don't attend. In Manhattan, embassies, businesses, colleges. I meet people, and talk to them about the kids.

You were at 12 different school districts benefiting about 15,000 kids. How do you choose and fund programs for outreach?

It happens because of a needs assessment at the school's end. Most of the schools today are reporting funding being cut to their arts programs. We send our artists and dancers and teachers into schools that aren't geographically next to us; that can't afford to send their kids (using) grants from JP Morgan Chase, from the Department of Education. But some grants are running out.

How do you get the audience?

We get ads donated to us and make telephone calls, send emails .?.?. everybody is so busy, and you have to get their attention for the five minutes it takes to make that reservation.

CORPORATE SNAPSHOT

NAME: Regina Gil, founder and executive director, Great Neck Arts Center.

WHAT IT DOES: Provides visual arts and performance arts programs, classes, lectures and film screenings.

EMPLOYEES: 8 full time; 33 part time (this includes 25 part-time teachers.)

BUDGET: $1.8 million.