Huntington Arts Council is proud to present DEC The Walls
A Virtual Exhibition of NYSCA Decentralization Grantees from 2018-2019
Online from May 8, – May 31, 2020
DEC The Walls brings together our Exhibition and Decentralization Regrant Programs. We are showcasing seven artists, all Creative Individual grantees from 2018-2019, whose work spans the artistic spectrum. They are: 2018-Lauren Skelly Bailey, Andrea Cote, Leonard Lehrman, John Scarola, 2019-Susan Buroker, Diego Garcia, and Dudley Salmon. Their work, project descriptions and artist bio’s are displayed below.
2018 DEC Creative Individual Awardees
Lauren Skelly Bailey, Creative Individual, “Marine Debris Awareness”


In the spring of 2018, Lauren Skelly Bailey was awarded two grants from the New York State Council on the Arts through the Huntington Art Council to bring about awareness of how important it is to keep beaches clean and how global warming is bleaching coral lives. Bailey created new works, taught hands-on clay workshops, and hosted beach clean ups in her community thanks to the support of these grants. Her work explored coral bleach events caused by global warming in clay. It included neon colors and white as a symbol of warning, not rebirth. For more information on Lauren Skelly Bailey click here.
Andrea Cote, Creative Individual, “The Radiance Project”


“The Radiance Project” was a community project for Southampton. It engaged our collective bodies in collaborative printmaking, alternative photography, and movement workshops based around the circular mandala form. A multi-dimensional radiant community portrait emerged over a series of months, culminating in an installation of visual tapestries at Southampton Arts Center in 2018. A communally created dance, performed at Flying Point Beach and filmed for video, was also screened. The process was documented and visible on the project website: radianceartproject.wordpress.com. For more information on Andrea Cote click here.
Leonard Lehrman, Creative Individual, “The Last Word”


On Dec. 2, 2001, at Roslyn’s Bryant Library, and Jan. 5, 2002, at Chapel Off Chapel in Melbourne, Australia, Helene Williams, accompanied by the composer, premiered Leonard Lehrman’s cycle, “An Australian Odyssey”, on 18 poems by 14 Australian poets, including two by poet/editor Alex Skovron. Fifteen years later, Lehrman drew on Skovron for inspiration again, setting his dystopian poem, “The Last Word,” to music for performance by Williams and Margo Andrea with the Alba Consort of the L.I. Baroque Festival. The work was premiered in Valley Stream with piano on June 3, 2018, and at Roslyn’s Trinity Church with instruments on Oct. 14, 2018. This was the first time a Creative Individual grant had been awarded to a composer. For more information on Leonard Lehrman click here.
John Scarola, Creative Individual, “Breaching Whale”



Gray whale handcrafted from poplar with silvered finish. For more information on John Scarola click here.
2019 DEC Creative Individual Awardees
Susan Buroker, Creative Individual, “Little Fish”



The artist created large-scale, sculpted puppets and composed an interactive short play based on fish identified by the Department of Environmental Conservation as endangered from nitrogen pollution in my community. The play was performed for the public. For more information on Susan Buroker click here.
Diego Garcia, Creative Individual, “Clarity: A Solo Exhibition by Diego Garcia”


Clarity: A solo exhibition at Patchogue’s Muñeca Arthouse that consisted
of 24 brand-new paintings by Diego Garcia and an extensive event calendar of live music. The paintings, half of which were sold, told a vivid story of a journey through complex emotional experiences. To create the exhibition, Garcia related to techniques found in previous solo shows and presented new ones that expanded his technical and artistic palette. An estimated 500+ community members experienced the show through its event calendar alongside the gallery’s public hours. Garcia also provided an art workshop inspired by the exhibition in his hometown of Brentwood, NY. For more information on Diego Garcia click here.
Dudley Music, Creative Individual – “Rely On Me” EP

Dudley Music

Dudley Music second solo EP release, featuring five newly recorded works. For more information on Dudley Music, click here.
The Huntington Arts Council proudly administers the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Decentralization grant program. Long Island Arts Grants are made possible with funds from the Decentralization Program (DEC) of the New York State Council on the Arts and with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature. DEC is administered by the Huntington Arts Council, making possible the perseverance of extraordinary arts and cultural activities throughout the Long Island region, reaching both Nassau and Suffolk counties.
