Art League of Long Island, damaged by flooding, to reopen Feb. 5
One of Long Island's leading art institutions is scheduled to reopen its doors early next year after a powerful rainstorm in late September caused massive flood damage totaling a half-million dollars to nearly the entire building.
The Art League of Long Island is targeting Feb. 5 to reopen its two-story office on East Deer Park Road in Dix Hills, said Marianne Della Croce, the nonprofit's executive director.
“We are going to be completed with the construction effort by the end of this month,” Della Croce said. “In January, we're going to take the time to clean up from the construction; put all the furniture back together in the rooms; put back together the office and begin preparing for our next exhibitions, which will reopen in February.”
The Sept. 29 storm caused major flood damage to all nine Art League studios, the Jeanie Tengelsen Gallery, hallways, office space and the library. No artwork was damaged, Della Croce said.
Initially, Della Croce thought the repairs would be limited to surface-level damage to the walls and flooring. But after taking the building down to the studs, Art League officials discovered that significant and expensive improvements were needed to the foundation of the building, along with better water management on the exterior of the property, including the parking lot.
Among the enhancements, officials said, is a new concrete walkway, updated curbing to the foundation, a water dam, additional dry wells and six catch basins. Inside, new drywall has been installed, the gallery has been repainted and new flooring is being installed, along with improved insulation, lighting and storage.
In the interim, a host of local organizations, including Nassau Community College's Art Department, the Nassau County Museum of Art, Spirit of Huntington and the Half Hollow Hills and Northport school districts have served as temporary hosts for Art League classes and exhibitions.
The Art League, a visual education center founded in 1955, initially hoped that insurance would cover the bulk of the repair costs. But to date, insurance has covered only $30,000, Della Croce said, while contributions from the community have added another $20,000.
The remaining $450,000 needed to complete the work, she said, is coming from the Art League's reserves.
The group, however, plans to start a campaign seeking additional donations from the public early next year to build back its reserves.
“The board of directors has always worked prudently to make sure that we had reserves intact for a rainy day, not to make a bad pun,” she said. “To make sure that it was held onto for when we needed it. And now is the time that we needed it.”
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
