While space is limited at this Saturday’s opening, the work on display in the gallery’s second floor provides an astounding range of subject, featuring characters inspired by the writings of Philip Dick, Herman Melville, Charles Darwin and Ernest Hemingway.

Entitled “Water: A Parallel Universe,” the Giancola one-man show on that level also features an original rendering of Iron Man, more along the flavor of what has driven producer George Lucas to become one of his biggest collectors.

The event was hosted by Richard Demato and his wife, Harriet Sawyer, at their Sag Harbor home. Original artworks by Fountain Gallery artists were displayed for sale, with proceeds benefiting the Gallery. Renowned artists Eric Fischl and April Gornik were Honorary Chairs of the event.

Harriet Sawyer, Richard Demato, Denise Adams

The weather was sublime, and by the light of the setting sun and on into the evening, guests enjoyed cocktails, fine food, and live music as they viewed the original artworks strikingly arrayed on porches and lawns overlooking the bay.

Fountain Gallery, currently celebrating its 10th Anniversary year, was founded by Fountain House in 2000 as a not-for-profit exhibition space for artists living and working with mental illness.

Richard Demato, April Gornik, Eric Fischl

by Pat Rogers, The East Hampton Press & The Southampton Press

The story involves fast driving, water views and that slim period of time when dusk lowers night’s curtain on the day. When the whirlwind tour was over, a new series of East End landscapes was born.

Captured with a camera and in the artist’s memory, the images were not translated into paintings anywhere near eastern Long Island. Instead, artist Jeff Aeling rendered them in his St. Louis, Missouri, studio, where he connected with the natural beauty he witnessed a thousand miles away.

The driving and the invitation to see the area came courtesy of Richard Demato of North Haven. Some of the paintings that capture the fading light and transform familiar views into special moments are now on view at the Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery in Sag Harbor. The lower level of the gallery features Mr. Aeling’s landscapes. Upstairs is a solo show of narrative American magic realism paintings by Andrea Kowch.

Mr. Demato became a fan of Mr. Aeling’s work years ago after spying his landscape paintings in an Arizona gallery, his attention drawn by the way Mr. Aeling created paintings that evoke peaceful contemplation. He became a collector and discovered others had a similar reaction to the work.

After Mr. Demato launched his Sag Harbor gallery in September 2009, Mr. Aeling sprang to mind as an artist he wanted to represent. After an extended telephone search, Mr. Aeling was located and Mr. Demato exhibited some of his Midwestern landscapes and Hawaiian seascapes at the gallery. Not fully satisfied, Mr. Demato invited Mr. Aeling to visit the Hamptons and make some new work inspired by the beauty found on the East End.

Mr. Aeling accepted, but there were two hitches: He was interested only in scouting scenery in the last hour and a half before nightfall, and he would be on the East End for only five evenings.

“It’s the time of day when things get a lot more interesting,” Mr. Aeling said of twilight. “The colors are saturated and the shadows deeper. It’s the most memorable part of the day.”

The two men formed a loose plan: Mr. Demato would drive the artist to places that he believed would capture his interest. Mr. Aeling gravitates toward textured water and big skies and Mr. Demato aimed for places that might fit the bill.

The pair traveled to a number of vantage points, including Ditch Plains and Montauk Point, Long Beach in North Haven, water views in Water Mill and a secluded preserve in Southampton. Mr. Aeling directed Mr. Demato to pull over when he spied vistas that captured his interest, and took photos. Afterward, Mr. Aeling flew home to the Midwest.

In his cavernous studio, Mr. Aeling began to sort through his memories of time spent on the East End. Standouts in his recollections were the tidal marshes and the way the land curved around the water. The greens were especially brilliant, he said, and the golds in the sky seductive.

Coaxing fleeting moments into the permanency of paintings is a process Mr. Aeling cherishes. The process is best served in a studio where time can be expended in accordance with the inspiration afforded by the muse and the amount of effort required.

“Painting plain air doesn’t really interest me,” he said. “I’ve always been a studio painter. The time I’m interested in is a matter of minutes; it’s physically impossible to make a painting. The studio is a controlled environment. You have as much time as you need to get what you want.”

Mr. Aeling is continuing to work on his series of Hamptons landscapes. Four of the East End paintings are part of the exhibition that opened on Saturday at the gallery.

Other works in the show include landscapes from Kansas and Colorado and seascapes from Kauai, Hawaii.

Mr. Aeling has exhibited in Manhattan; Tucson, Arizona; Sante Fe, New Mexico; Chicago; St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. His paintings remain on view at Richard J. Demato Fine Arts Gallery in Sag Harbor through August 12. Also on view are paintings by Andrea Kowch. For more information, visit www.rjdgallery.com or call 631-725-1161.

"Dune Road Mecox Bay" 34 x 48" oil on panel

WETLANDS SUNSET AT MECOX BAY 24 x 36" oil on panel

"Sag Harbor Cove" 10 x 14" oil on panel

"The Beatles Times Square" by Anthony D'Avino

Times are tough for all the non-profits. And when services provided have to remain confidential in order to protect clients, as in the casework of The Retreat, fund-raising becomes even more challenging. Luckily, an art opening and exhibition is poised to draw attention to the organization’s mission to combat domestic violence and help victims work toward a brighter future. The artist admission fees and a percentage of sales benefit the East End charity.

On Saturday, The Retreat’s second annual Juried Art Show opens with an artist reception at the Richard J. Demato Gallery in Sag Harbor. The exhibition features the top 25 accepted artists for the open call art show. Their artwork plus pieces made by eight runners-up will also be posted on The Retreat’s online gallery (www.theretreatinc.org). The show remains on view through May 13 at the Demato Gallery.

Almost 290 artists applied, hailing from as far away as California and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Jurors were Christina Strassfield, Guild Hall’s museum director and chief curator, and Max Fishko, the gallery director for ArtHamptons and its sister fair, the San Francisco Fine Art Fair.

The accepted work includes paintings, sculpture, photography and mixed media in abstraction, seascapes, figurative, conceptual and urban scenes. Area artists include Giancarlo Impiglia, Philipe Cheng, Lewis Zacks, Dorothy Frankel, Steve Alpert, Michael Knigin, and Ruby Jackson, among others. The Best in Show winner receives a solo show at the Demato Gallery.

Holding a juried art show as a fund-raiser was a natural, according to event chair, Retreat board member, photographer and college professor Ann Chwatsky. Since The Retreat already holds an annual art auction (Artists Against Abuse), sponsoring a juried art show as a benefit seemed like the logical next step when it was first suggested by Southampton gallery owner and art dealer Peter Marcelle.

“Art is a wonderful outreach for The Retreat,” Ms. Chwatsky said. “Artists and people who are attracted to art are giving people. Healing is an art and art is healing.”

The first juried art show was held last year at Hampton Road Gallery in Southampton. This year, the event was moved to the Richard J. Demato Gallery, the gallery opened in Sag Harbor last year by Mr. Demato, the board president for The Retreat, and his wife, Harriet Sawyer, who is an artist.

For the artists, it’s a chance to be part of a juried show that will presumably feature art of a higher quality. Being awarded one of the top 25 slots is a noteworthy achievement.

“It’s hard for artists to get into galleries,” said Anthony D’Avino of Babylon. “Artists are sensitive and can be afraid to compete. This show is a good opportunity.”

Mr. D’Avino has exhibited his colorful art at the Art League of Long Island in Dix Hills, RVS Fine Art in Southampton, the Fire Island Lighthouse, Adelphi University and other venues.

For Victoria Selbach of Port Washington, being part of the show provides an opportunity to meet other artists who are serious about their work. She explained that discovering a community of artists can be difficult in Nassau County. Ms. Selbach currently has a solo show at Martha de Groot in Port Washington. She has exhibited her figurative work on Long Island and in other places.

Mr. D’Avino heard about the show after seeing a call for artists in Art in America. Ms. Selbach discovered The Retreat’s show last year during an internet search for artist-related activities on Long Island. This year’s show saw repeat submissions from last year. Accepted both years were artists Deb Bronston-Culp, Mr. Zacks, Mr. Knigin and Ms. Jackson.

The hope is that this year’s Juried Art Show will be a success and its reputation for presenting quality art will continue, said Ms. Chwatsky. Just as important is the show’s capacity for spreading the word about The Retreat’s services and generating funds to help maintain them.

“Letting people know about The Retreat, especially in this economy, is important,” said Ms. Chwatsky. “Domestic violence has always been a problem, but when the economy suffers, so do women and children. Pressure can cause bad behaviors and sometimes results in explosions, anger and action against spouses and families. We’ve seen an increase in hot line calls; the shelter is busy. It’s an issue and it’s not going to go away. The Juried Art Show is an opportunity for us to let people know about the services we offer.”

The Retreat offers free counseling, a 24-hour domestic violence hot line, legal advocacy for victims of domestic abuse, and educational programs for schools. See www.theretreatinc.org for details.

The Retreat’s second annual Juried Art Show will be held from May 1 to 13 at the Richard J. Demato Gallery, 90 Main Street, Sag Harbor. An artists opening reception will be held on Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m.

For many individuals on the South Fork, art and life tend to merge. But for Richard Demato that merger means something a little different and definitely much deeper.

A self-described “nerdy kid,” Richard Demato
has been collecting objects and art all his life.
(photo by: Morgan McGivern)

The Sag Harbor gallery owner and president of the Retreat, an organization that provides shelter and outreach to victims of domestic violence on the South Fork, has been incorporating fine art as a means to raise money for the organization since his involvement with it began in 2005.

The Richard Demato Fine Arts Gallery at 90 Main Street in Sag Harbor has added three artists to its roster and will showcase their work with an exhibit that opens with a reception on Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. The show can be seen through April 10.

Andrea Kowch, a painter most known for the rich symbolism, mood, and control of medium in her work, depicts “narrative, allegorical imagery” as well as a desolate American landscape as a background for her subjects.

Based in St. Louis, Jeff Aeling’s landscape paintings cover geographies as diverse as Hawaii, New Mexico, and Missouri with an unexpected intimacy. Laurel Swab, who lives in Colorado, is a painter and sculptor whose work “addresses issues of confrontation, cultural boundaries, and personal evolution,” according to her Web site.

By Georgia Suter, The Sag Harbor Express

Conquering financial concerns and finding ways to share resources were among the subjects  discussed  at the first East End Social Service Summit, which brought numerous local non-profits into the same room for the first time.

The lulling economy has resulted in substantial drops in governmental assistance and private donations for the non-profit organizations, many of which are seeing significant increases in demand for their services as stress levels rise and incidents of domestic violence and substance abuse grow. The Richard Demato Gallery and The Retreat for women of domestic violence co-sponsored a gathering for the organizations last week, as a means of addressing financial challenges and exploring possible areas for collaboration. The President of The Retreat, Richard Demato, along with the organization’s executive director, Jeff Friedman, have been thinking creatively about ways to involve the community and other like-minded organizations in their efforts, now that East Hampton Town has cut them out of its budget.

“The reality is none of us can stand alone today. You simply cannot depend on outside financial resources– you have to find creative ways to involve the community in the work that you do…on Friday, if we can pick up a couple ideas from one another, it will be a success,” Demato stated in an interview last week.

Improving the level of interaction between local non-profits and connecting over common goals was at the heart of the Social Service Summit on Friday.

Attending the conference were representatives from numerous non-profit organizations including the East End Arts Council, the Wellness Foundation, The East Hampton Department of Human Service’s Communities that Care program, the Southampton Animal Shelter and the YMCA, among others. Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman was also in attendance.

Demato, also a gallery owner, opened up his exhibition space in Sag Harbor for the event and began by sharing some of his own insights on creative marketing and fundraising. Among their new strategies to raise awareness, The Retreat will be doing seven, free television shows through LTV, which is something Demato has suggested to other groups. Demato also spoke openly about his past efforts to draw support—radio ads, art gallery contests and wine tastings all widened the Retreat’s listening base.

The summit, which quickly evolved into a discussion-based question and answer session, helped to wash away any feelings of competition amongst the various agencies and bring light to their overlapping needs. Sharing experiences with financial struggle led to a number of proposed solutions for saving money, including the idea of pooling resources like public transportation and sharing therapy personnel to cut down on staffing insurance costs. The Bridgehampton Head Start Program, for example, doesn’t currently have enough buses to transport all of their kids to and from school. Likewise, a representative from a local church shared that they have 25 bed-bound seniors who want to go to Mass, but the church doesn’t have a van to get them there. One representative suggested writing a collective grant so that two or more organizations might be able to share one vehicle. Demato emphasized the advantages that come with this kind of collaboration, noting that with a collective proposal, the agencies can hit more targets with one strike and imply more urgency, as a larger need for the service is presented.

In addition to financial strategies, new ideas for positive interaction between the agencies were proposed. One representative suggested bringing animals from the Southampton Shelter to visit children at the Retreat. A member of the Wellness Foundation proposed organizing collective events such as a health fair, which could cover overlapping health issues and result in a positive cross over of people.

“We will all tap into a larger community, and we’ll be much more difficult to ignore,” Demato remarked.

At the core of the conference was an emphasis on raising awareness around the community. Demato spoke early on about the misperceptions that many people have about East Hampton, noting that in the past The Retreat has even been mistaken as being a spa or resort site.

“People mistake East Hampton for a rich society that doesn’t have abuse, so it’s critical that we talk and share and realize that there are common problems…” Demato explained.

Keeping in touch and staying connected was a critical subject of discussion as the meeting came to a close. Several representatives expressed the desire to meet on a monthly basis—The Bay Street Theater has already offered up their space to host the next gathering. Communicating through an interactive web forum and creating a regular email newsletter were also proposed methods of maintaining contact, as was an umbrella non-profit Facebook group which has, in fact, already been launched online, as the ‘East End Providers Alliance.’ Demato expressed the importance of making such connections to help spread the word about one’s cause and expand the overall reach of support groups.

“Sharing what you’re committed to doing is infectious,” he said. “Each new person, each volunteer, brings a new group of people.”

The President of The Retreat talks about the effect of the recession on domestic violence, what the not-for-profit has done to stay afloat amid declining governmental assistance and why he thinks local organizations should start working together.

The East End Social Service Summit has been billed as a gathering of local not-for-profits with the ultimate goal of groups developing symbiotic relationships. Where did this idea come from and what do you truly hope this evening will accomplish?

It is a concept that just fell into my head. I felt [The Retreat] had a difficult time and we worked hard to come up with some unique concepts to take care of our agency. I feel, and [The Retreat’s Executive Director] Jeff Friedman agrees, that we have our unique ideas and other organizations have their ideas and if we share them successfully we could all benefit. Although we go to the government for funding, we cannot depend on the towns and the villages to assist us. We do need their money, but East Hampton Town cut us out entirely and if we didn’t do something creative the agency could have really been hurt. Instead, we are doing seven television shows through LTV, which is something I would suggest to other groups including the new Southampton Animal Shelter. It is free, it reaches the East Hampton market and they will give you a copy of the show, which you can submit to other not-for-profit television stations.  As you raise awareness about your organization, as The Retreat has been able to do through the newspaper, you get more and more support. It is critical to clarify the purpose of your not-for-profit and bring awareness to the community and the return is you will find a group that is interested in your organization. And it’s not just financial interest. I have five or six friends that now volunteer for The Retreat. I want to hear what other groups have done and if each of us can pick up one idea, we win. This is only the tip of the iceberg for us. The Retreat is looking to start a program for men and boys. Right now, we can’t shelter men because our shelter is a woman-protected shelter, but we do get calls and we want to be able to address that need as well. That program would be comprehensive – outreach, prevention, education and counseling. We are also trying to take advantage of the housing market to look into creating transitional housing. The point is we are trying to do different things, but someone else might have another good idea. Creativity brings more creativity.

National statistics show that during times of economic crisis, domestic violence rises. Has The Retreat seen this statistic become a reality in the last two years?

We were at full capacity at the end of last year with a waiting list. We had to refer people to other organizations. The unfortunate fact is this puts pressure on individuals prone to violence and the police back us up on this point. There is a direct link to crime, to drinking and drug abuse during a recession. We have started small groups called SOS on Shelter Island because there was a need and I was there when [Shelter Island Police Chief James Read] spoke. He made it clear, the relation between loss of income, people being laid off, the increase of drinking and drug use and how that can result in violence. It is a tough time for a lot of people. I don’t think a lot of people understand how bad it is, particularly in the construction industry. On a positive note, a lot of people, including financial analysts are sating we are starting to come out of the downturn. The real estate market is getting busy again, the inventory of houses is declining.

After a tenuous financial hold in 2008, it appears The Retreat will be closing its books in 2010 in the black. What do you attribute this to?

Several things. I was fairly aggressive with the board of The Retreat and we came to the unanimous decision to assist the agency. We doubled [our contribution] as a group and that helped. One member bought us a new computer system. Another woman paid for a new person to work at the shelter and all that stuff comes out of the annual budget. It was good stuff. All the radio ads, the art gallery contests, the road rally, the wine tasting we did, each one widens our listening base and elevates the opportunities for us to get more assistance, whether its volunteerism or financial.

The Retreat is the only organization on the East End devoted to preventing domestic violence and helping its victims. How is the organization able to cover such a large area of need?

The staff is extremely focused as is our executive director and they all work 24-7, responding to e-mails and calls even on the weekends. We also opened a larger satellite office near the courthouse in Riverhead this year, which accomplished several things for us. When people hear we are from East Hampton, they assume we don’t need money. Roverhead offers a different economic perspective for people. I was talking to the head of a charity in Westhampton Beach that helps animals and they experienced the same problem because people could not understand that they help all the way out here. We also hired more people because the executive director and the staff wrote strong grant proposals that enabled us to have the funding to bring more people on board and we still finished in the black because people have donated their time to us. If we have three volunteers working, perhaps a staff member can focus on another area of need. No one does just one thing – our staff is versatile, taking on several different roles. I think it is that way at a lot of not-for-profits because you are not just working for the paycheck. There are emotional bonds and most of them appreciate the work they do. At a board meeting the other day, Jeff [Friedman] played a phone message – without revealing the woman’s name – from someone we gave a car to. We have been doing that more as we have gotten car donations as a result of the car rally and it just changes someone’s life. It gives them independence. A lot of people don’t understand why women don’t leave these bad situations and generally it is because they have no money, no car, nowhere to go. Just this can give someone the opportunity to go get work and have independence. It just can mean everything.

Is it your hope that other not-for-profits will be able to take similar techniques after Friday’s meeting in order to further their own work?

The whole idea is for us to be extremely transparent with all the non profits about what we have done, because if we are not I do not believe they will be comfortable sharing their own insights with us. The intention is to be completely honest and that I believe honesty is contagious. For example, we will tell them about the different grant opportunities we are looking at, how we were able to motivate our own board to help the agency more than they already had and I will explain how I plan to make it even better next year; although I will keep that to myself until Friday. But I do have some interesting ideas.

Outside of sharing ideas, do you see an opportunity for not-for-profits to connect over common goals during Friday’s summit?

Absolutely. That is exactly what I am hoping for. The reality is none of us can stand alone today. You simply cannot depend on outside financial resources – you have to find creative ways to involve the community in the work you do. I look at what is going on in Haiti and the success with texting donations. After seeing the impact that has had, I approached The Retreat and suggested we set up a similar system so people can use their phones to donate $10, $20 to our cause. You have to learn from everything around you, and on Friday, if we can pick up a couple ideas from one another, it will be a success.

Outside of not-for-profits, do you expect other guests to attend Friday’s meeting?

I believe Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman will be there as well as New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr.

Is it your hope having government leaders there will help them to understand the level of need for local organizations on the East End?

I think being familiar and comfortable with one another and having them be aware of what we are doing will help ultimately with funding. We have to create ways for people to be involved with our organizations and for The Retreat, having Jay or Fred there goes a long way towards showing that men care about our cause as well as women and that is a major, major thing for us.

The Retreat has been a huge part of your life for a number of years now. What drew you to the organization in such a dedicated way?

Several things. First of all, I tend to get involved with anything I am committed to -– it’s the same at my gallery [ The Richard J. Demato Gallery on Main Street in Sag Harbor]. I also have five younger sisters, two of which have lived the life of women we have helped at The Retreat. A neighbor sold me some raffle tickets one day and I went to the event. I saw I could make a difference. At the time they did not have anyone with a business background and with my knowledge of marketing and business it just was a perfect marriage. The Retreat has given me something to be proud of. This is a very special group of people. They are all little diamonds.

The East End Social Service Summit will be held at the Richard J. Demato Gallery, 90 Main Street, Sag Harbor, from 5:30 to 7:30 on Friday, January 22. Registration is required and seating is very limited. To register call 329-4398 or e-mail Kathy@theretreatinc.org.

We realize that not every non-profit has this as an option, and has not been as fortunate as us in achieving this goal. However, we can’t do this on an ongoing basis either.

These are unique times and problems which offer all of us the challenge to find new and creative methods to achieve our mutual goals. In order for us to do so and better serve the citizens of our community, collaboration needs to occur. We need one another now more than ever.

The Retreat cordially invites you to an East End Social Service Summit on 1/22/09, from 5:30PM to 7:30PM, at the Richard J. Demato Gallery at #90 Main Street, Sag Harbor. Please respond quickly as space will be limited. Please RSVP to Kathy Schad of The Retreat at (631) 329-4398 or Kathy@theretreatinc.org.

At the summit you will learn more about The Retreat’s mission and vision for the future. You will also have the opportunity to share and discuss the purpose and goals of your non-profit affiliations, and hopefully we can learn, and grow through sharing with one another. We seek a symbiotic relationship wherein we can join together and work collaboratively on activities that will help the greater good of our community. We believe working together will yield an enhanced mutual success beyond what any of us can do alone.

I urge you to get involved and to add to the quality of life, right here in our community. Help the needy women and children that are not sharing your current lifestyle and are certainly not living the American Dream. Together we can do more.

Please choose to make a difference in our community, it will not only change their life, but I promise it will improve yours too! I know, I’ve done it.

Sincerely, Richard J. Demato, Board President