Thursday, October 1, 2026
Sea Cliff artist Mark Fay showcased numerous paintings of the American northeast at his new exhibit at the Sea Cliff Library Sunday afternoon.
The exhibit of 15 paintings as well as six pencil drawings done by Fay, opened at 300 Sea Cliff Ave. from 4-6 p.m. Stylistically the paintings vary; some are pastel, some are watercolor as well as acrylic paintings. The canvas that Fay painted on was far smaller than what he would typically do for his murals.
The varying seasons throughout the American Northeast are at the core of all of Fay’s paintings in the exhibit. Several paintings are from Pennsylvania, upstate New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut River. “For me, there is never a gap of not having inspiration for the subject matter around here,” Fay said. “It’s always great, there’s such a beautiful area,”
“I’ve been painting my whole life,” said Fay, who is an established mural painter in the village. His connection to painting can be drawn back to his grandfather, Charles Gulbrandsen.
Gulbrandsen was an apprentice in the early 1900s on the original mural that adorns the ceiling of Grand Central Terminal’s main concourse and was the general contractor on its redesign in 1945. Fay’s exhibit featured a few photos of his grandfather working on the Grand Central restoration.
Food, drinks and classical music filled up the library. In addition there were sign-in sheets for guests to leave a message to Fay about his work.
Fay had deep personal connections to all the areas he painted. He grounded his work with a quote as he worked on the pieces that would make up the exhibit.
“To paint and to pray are the same thing.” Fay said, “I tried to have these paintings look like prayers of gratitude for what we have around us.”
Fay moved to Sea Cliff with his wife, Laura, in 1986. He worked as an art teacher in the Manhasset School District and produced residential and commercial murals on the side.
Village Trustee Mark Sobel showed attendees the 20-foot-long and 4-and-a-half-foot-high mural that Fay painted on the front wall of the office in Village Hall. The mural depicts a view from Prospect Avenue overlooking Cliff Way, Hempstead Harbor, Glen Cove, and Mosquito Cove.
“I wasn’t really anticipating it, I was hoping we would be able to do it,” Fay said. “He (Sobel) was nice enough to let people come in for a few minutes and take a look at it,”
Fay thanked his daughter, Kristen, and his son, Stephen, for attending the opening. He also credited his wife, Laura, for the work on the exhibit. “She’s handled so many of the details of this exhibit, including the invitations, the reception, and the placement and hanging of the paintings,” Fay said. “She’s got a great eye.”
