Lenore Paprocky, left, sales manager at the Holiday Inn Express...

Lenore Paprocky, left, sales manager at the Holiday Inn Express in Stony Brook, is shown with some of the local artwork displayed in the hotel's lobby. (Sept. 13, 2010) Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas

What do you usually see on the walls of hotel lobbies? Maybe a reproduction of the local scenery. At the Holiday Inn Express in Stony Brook, you will see the work of two Long Island artists, Barbara Bilotta and James Jahrsdoerfer, in a new program to promote the paintings of Island artists and the hotel's business.

"We turned our lobby into an art gallery," said Lenore Paprocky, the hotel's director of sales. "It's all about doing things differently, being a trendsetter. This also gives local artists an area where they can showcase their work and not have to pay the big bucks to an art gallery."

An opening is set for Thursday. Paprocky said the lobby art gallery could also allow for "a business networking event in a very different type of atmosphere."

About two dozen works by the artists will be on display for about six weeks. The works of other local artists will be displayed after, also for about six weeks.

The 143-room hotel is also a trendsetter: It was the first Holiday Inn Express built in the United States - opening in 1992.

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