Huntington Artists Visit Heckscher Museum
December 9, 2022
A group of Huntington High School student-artists and their teachers visited the Heckscher Museum of Art, participating in a guide tour of a current the seventh annual Long Island Biennial juried exhibition and browsing through some of the collection that’s on display. This is the first of several trips by students.
The Long Island Biennial “fosters deeper connections between contemporary artists from Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the communities in which they live and work,” states the musuem’s website. “Created in the last two years, the works on exhibit represent a vital cross-section of Long Island’s contemporary art.
The museum’s permanent collection totals more than 2,300 pieces by both American and European artists. “The Heckscher Museum strives to be a leading source of artistic inspiration for Long Island and the region through community engagement and education programs,” according to its website.
Founded in 1920 by Anna and August Heckscher, who donated the building and 185 works of art to the Town of Huntington, the Heckscher Museum has become one of Long Island’s crown jewels.
“Mr. and Mrs. Heckscher envisioned Heckscher Park and the museum as the center of the community’s cultural, recreational and social life,” according to its website. “Inspired by that vision, the museum has championed the value of publicly accessible art and arts education for everyone.”
In 1957, the Town of Huntington delegated operational responsibility of The Heckscher Museum to an independent board of trustees of a newly formed non-profit organization. The New York State Board of Regents issued the Heckscher Museum’s absolute charter that same year.
