Home Community Community News Stunning paintings by local artists on exhibit in a most unusual place

Stunning paintings by local artists on exhibit in a most unusual place

A painting of Mattituck barns by artist Rick Mizdal is one of 27 works in Peconic Landing's next exhibit.

Something wonderful is happening in the North Fork art world, and you may be surprised to find out just where it’s going on: Peconic Landing in Greenport.

Although Greenport Village has long been known for its galleries, since February some spectacular artwork is being shown in the community room at Peconic Landing, just outside town.

While the community room at a retirement center might seem an unlikely place for an art gallery, if you know anything about the cultural activity that goes on at Peconic Landing, you won’t be surprised.

Dominic Antignano, the curator of cultural arts at Peconic Landing, has spent the past decade creating a hub of culture and the arts at the community.

“We’re getting recognized as such because of programs we have that are open to the greater community,” said Antignano. “We have a sculpture garden, we simulcast Metropolitan Opera performances, there are lectures and panels – hundreds of programs.”

The art gallery at the community center is one of the newer arts endeavors taking place at Peconic Landing, he says.

“After Peconic Landing’s expansion last year, we were trying to reimagine some of the spaces,” said Antignano. “Pat Lutzky, our vice president of resident services, came up with the idea of using our beautiful community center to display paintings.”

Working with East End Arts in Riverhead, Peconic Landing found the first two artists to exhibit at the center: Greenport artist Scott McIntire and Peter Beston of East Quogue.

After installing appropriate lighting in the space, Peconic Landing opened its first exhibit in February, McIntire’s “The World Around Us…Art & Nature.” In June, Beston’s “Palm Beach Stories” exhibit was hung and will remain there until October.

The gallery space is very large, says Antignano, and that creates some special challenges.

“It’s a problem — a good problem, though — finding large pieces,” he says. “And we focus on local artists from the North and South Forks, looking for pieces that tell a story and have a sense of continuity; something that goes along with the overall feel of Peconic Landing and our environment here.”

Antignano encourages people who are attending events at the community center to come early, take a walk around the gallery and maybe get inspired.

Next up is an exhibit of realist paintings by Rick Mizdal, who happens to be a resident of Peconic Landing. Mizdal has exhibited at Suffolk County Community College, East End Arts and the Time/Life building in New York City as well as galleries throughout Long Island. He has also taught fine arts and photographic imaging at SCCC.

“His works are big, beautiful and tell a great story,” says Antignano. “There’s so much inspiration in each of his pieces; they’re like windows that open up a whole new world.”

The show will feature 16 oil and acrylic paintings and 11 high definition prints, all 102 inches in height and ranging from 10 inches to 12 feet horizontally.

Mizdal’s exhibit will be in place until late January, after which another artist will be featured.

“We haven’t decided who that will be yet,” says Antignano. “It will be decided by me and the Peconic Landing resident art committee. What’s exciting is that we’ve had a lot of artists contacting us now that they know the space exists.”

The public is welcome to view the exhibits whenever the community room is free. Antignano suggests calling ahead to make sure access is available. 631-477-3800 ext. 229.

There will be an opening reception for Rick Mizdal’s exhibit on Friday, Oct. 13 at 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

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Katharine is a writer and photographer who has lived on the North Fork for nearly 40 years, except for three-plus years in Hong Kong a decade ago, working for the actor Jackie Chan. She lives in Cutchogue. Email Katharine