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Overcast Eight appointed to the council for the arts
Group to promote culture in the city
The City Council has officially named the members of Long Beach’s new Council for the Arts — operating under the name LBNY-ARTS — a body designed to enhance the cultural environment of the city by promoting the arts throughout the community.
Last fall, the city announced that it would be reinstating the long-inactive organization and reviewed applications for the group this past spring. LBNY-ARTS is tasked with advising and making recommendations to the City Council for new art programs, cultural activities and other initiatives. It will also promote the programs of the city’s 22 arts related organizations and encourage collaboration among the groups.
Its members include Arthur Adair, Steve Adelson, Elizabeth Connolly, Barbara Freedman, Andrew Hornberger, John Jobst, Ed Kennedy and Kathleen Regan, with Adair acting as council chairman.
“We are truly excited to be launching a council of the arts,” Councilman Anthony Eramo said in a statement. “Our goal is to enhance the cultural environment of Long Beach, truly making our City by the Sea a hub for the performing arts. Long Beach is a city filled with so many cool, creative people, and we are hopeful that the arts council will help us develop various platforms to showcase those talented individuals.”
LBNY-ARTS first initiative is the creation of a comprehensive website, LBNY-ARTS.org, to support all arts and cultural ventures within the city, Adair said at a recent City Council meeting. The website will centralize all citywide events listings, as well as feature a callboard to enhance collaborative ventures within the community and provide the ability for local artists and art organizations to create profile pages with links to their individual sites, Adair said.
“The Arts Council is something we see becoming quite significant as the City continues to foster its growing arts community,” Councilwoman Eileen Goggin added. “My daughter Natalie and I have performed in community theatre, she is active in the Middle School Theater program, NYSMMA, All County Chorus, and the school’s advanced art program so this concept is one that truly hits home for us.”
