The Merrick Public Library features a new display with 15 slice-of-life paintings from the late Long Island artist Joseph Reboli, celebrating his legacy until the end of January.
Library Director Dan Scuzmir was encouraged to host this exhibit after seeing Joseph’s work in Suffolk County.
“I had seen one of his pieces and really loved it,” he said. “My family and I went out to Stony Brook and visited the Reboli Center and saw some more of his art. It was great, and I thought it would be good to introduce it to the people here in Merrick.”
The exhibit opened on Dec. 30 and will remain open until Jan. 31.
Christina Bonfiglio-Scali, community relations director for the Merrick Public Library, is responsible for bringing talented creators to the library for events and exhibits.
“The reception has been great,” she said. “People remark on the artwork in there all the time, saying how wonderful it is. They love seeing it in there.”
The program platforms both new and established artists, offering a mix of Long Island history and the forefront of its creative scene.
“We try to get a mix of artists at the Merrick library, and it’s always artists from Long Island,” she said.
Joseph’s paintings frequently sell for $10,000 or more — for security purposes, the exhibit uses 15 high quality Giclée replicas on display in the community room, providing a faithful sample of his work without putting his original pieces at risk.
The gallery’s paintings feature depictions of everyday sights on Long Island: natural landscapes, noteworthy buildings, and everyday tools and appliances.
Born in 1945, Joseph grew up on Long Island, developing his skills as a painter at the Paier School of Art in Connecticut. He became a realist painter, capturing the beauty of everyday scenes in Long Island and hosted exhibits around the country and Europe.
After his death in 2004, his wife Lois Reboli founded the Joseph Reboli Center to share his artwork with the Long Island community.
“After he died, we had some paintings left, and I just wanted there to be a place where people could continue to see his work because he loved that area so much,” Lois said.
Lois has been an art teacher for over 30 years. An appreciation of art was a passion she shared with her husband — and it’s what motivates her to preserve his works.
“My husband was a wonderful, wonderful man, and everybody enjoys this work because it’s so positive,” Lois said.
“He can take something like a picture of a fire hydrant, and with the way the light is on it, it makes you stop and look at the beauty in it,” she explained.
In a conversation with former State Assemblyman Steve Engelbright, he suggested that Lois create a nonprofit that could preserve and share Joseph’s works.
Lois and her teammates found a location that would become the Joseph Reboli Center — a former bank building up for sale by Capital One. The building was expensive at $1,600,000.
Engelbright connected Lois with state grants that covered the majority of the building’s costs and the remainder was raised in a crowdfunding campaign.
“The whole thing is a miracle,” Lois said. “From the goodness of everyone’s heart, everyone has helped us in one way or another. The community backed us, and we’re just so grateful.”
The Joseph Reboli Center frequently partners with community organizations and other nonprofits to promote Long Island’s culture and history.
“They were so enthusiastic to bring Mr. Reboli’s art out west here to Merrick,” Bonfiglio-Scali said. “That they offered for Lois Reboli to come all the way out here to do a lecture, was wonderful.”
On Jan. 18, Lois Reboli came to the Merrick Library to give a lecture about the foundation’s art and its meaning to the Long Island community.
Later this year, the library will host a 100th anniversary for the publication of The Great Gatsby and hold a five-part lecture series titled Live Long Island themed on local maritime history and host the next annual “Touch a Truck” event.
“Our library gets such great use in Merrick, but there’s always more people who could find something that appeals to them, and we hope to reach them in 2025,” Scuzmir said.
To learn more about the Merrick Library’s upcoming events, visit MerrickLibrary.org.
To learn more about Joseph Reboli’s artwork, visit ReboliCenter.org.