Monday, May 19, 2025
Inside East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School’s art department, Kelly Cabasso and Kristie Galante are more than colleagues— they’re artistic collaborators, creative motivators, and, as they describe it, two halves of the same mind.
“We just say we share a brain,” Cabasso said. “We're both very creative, but for ourselves, we always make ourselves do artwork.”
Cabasso and Galante, who have been teaching together at the school for over a decade, also make time for yearly exhibitions that keep their creative drive active.
“That's almost like a good excuse for us,” Galante said.
Outside of school, their personal art practices vary widely. When it comes to medium, their process is flexible in both painting and photography.
“I think it's just kind of whatever in that moment,” Galante said.
As educators, their materials often align with what they teach. Galante said the students like the oils, so she finds herself practicing oil painting.
Cabasso, who teaches photography and facilitates college-credit courses through Farmingdale University, introduces students to composition using household items.
“We started by using eggs as our muse,” she said. “We take those concepts, go out into the world and maybe just notice something a little bit differently than before the class.”
While the classroom has its pressures, both say the core of teaching remains joyful.
“Every day is fun,” Galante said. “The actual teaching and working with kids is just exciting.”
Both artists hold MFAs from Queens College, and Galante completed her undergraduate studies at Adelphi, while Cabasso graduated from Dell.
“We both graduated the same year, so really the same age,” said Galante. “We have to remind each other how old we are.”
Currently, Galante is painting a piece inspired by her son’s dream world.
When asked to name a favorite piece, neither teacher hesitated.
“Whatever I'm working on currently is,” Galante said.
Cabasso agreed.
“You take what you like — something from each piece,” she said.
For Cabasso and Galante, their continued practice, collaborative spirit, and shared passion not only influence their students, but also serve as a daily reminder of why they became artists in the first place.
“You're going to take pictures the rest of your life,” Galante said she tells students, “You're going to create art whether you do it as a career or not.”
