Friday, March 28, 2025
In celebration of Black History Month at the Elmont Memorial Library, the artwork of Paul Oresky is on display at the library’s first floor art gallery. His photographs have been available for viewing since the beginning of February, and will stay up through the end of the month. The gallery is available to the public, and all library guests can observe the photo collection when they visit.
Jean Simpson, director of the Elmont Memorial Library, explained that all of the library’s chosen artists are local, which allows them the opportunity share their artwork with the community. She said the library wants to give local artists the recognition they deserve.
Oresky, who resides in Oceanside, has been recognized in libraries across the island for his photography. The artist, who is now 77, wrote that he has been actively photographing since he was 25 and has travelled worldwide as a freelance photographer since 2000.
The library provides a platform for artists like Oresky to display their work without the expectation of sales, Simpson explained, but instead for community enjoyment. She said that these exhibits are meticulously planned, with artists booked months in advance.
Lee Gorray, an Elmont library adult reference librarian, organizes these exhibits every month, collaborating with artists through word-of-mouth and community connections. According to Gorray, she’s admired Oresky’s other work at the library for a few years. He’s done previous exhibits with his photographs of birds, Manhattan buildings and others.
Her decision to choose this artist for the month of February was influenced by his collection, “The African Photo Exhibit on the Mother Country,” which she thought would be the perfect way to celebrate Black History Month. Gorray said she felt the community would enjoy this exhibit due to its cultural relevancy.
Oresky’s travels to Kenya and Tanzania allowed him to take intimate photos of the native people and wildlife. He was able to capture the beauty of the Serengeti and the Mara’s culture, landscape, animals and people.
“Photography allows me to document the world around me, and the various places I visit literally and artistically,” he said of his work. He described photography as a way to share his travels and express his creative side.
His photographs of the Maasai People capture their culture and traditions dating back to the 18th century, according to Oresky. He said that his experience on safari in Kenya and Tanzania still would’ve been extraordinary, even if he hadn’t taken photographs.
Oresky said the experience humbled him. “Perhaps the novelty of not having the powerful presence of hand of man creations dominating the landscape is the reason,” he wrote. He also described a sense of calmness in the beauty he observed.
The beauty he experienced can now be shared in the Elmont library’s art gallery, which is open to anyone who would like to visit.
Oresky regularly presents his photography in the Oceanside and Baldwin public libraries, and will also have more work displayed at the Elmont library in May with scheduled shows for both the summer and autumn.
The library’s commemoration of Black history extends beyond the artwork of Oresky, as well, and can be celebrated through lectures, theatre programs, crafts and activities in appreciation of the Black community’s contributions to American culture. Oresky’s work is just one piece of the puzzle, Simpson said. The library staff encouraged everybody to check out the artwork presented each month in the library.
Simpson added that the library offers many programs to children, teens and adults, and their art gallery is just one more thing that helps bring the community together. “We’re not just books,” Simpson stressed. “It’s a place for people to come and celebrate whatever it is they do.”
