Advanced art student Uma Tseyang of Great Neck pondering the pandemic through her artwork. The painting in progress shows an older man in despair not having enough food with “Andy Warhol style” empty cans in the background. (Photo by Gold Coast Arts)
LONG ISLAND, NY —Gold Coast Arts, a multi-arts organization dedicated to promoting the arts through education, exhibition, performance, and outreach, has successfully converted almost all its classes to online access using Zoom, an online chat and videoconferencing service. A list of all arts classes, along with interesting film screenings, virtual art exhibits, and other arts-related programs, can be found at www.goldcoastarts.org.
“Dance, theater, art, vocal, and robotics classes have all been adapted to our new virtual world and are aimed at students of all ages,” explained Ellen Schiff, Director of School for the Arts, Gold Coast Arts. “The arts have always been a great way to express and visualize what is going on, and we’re happy to be able to continue that during these challenging times.”
Teachers from each department have developed new, exciting programs customized for their class. For example, students in the Advanced Art class are working on a relevant project commenting on their feeling about the pandemic. “Students were eager to brainstorm ideas for their finished pieces and present to the class,” Schiff added.
The feedback from the students has been incredible, too, according to Ms. Schiff. “Thank you for hosting the class during this difficult time,” said one student who is taking an Intermediate Art course, “It felt like a wonderful moment of normality.” An Advanced Art Level II student who has the COVID-19 virus explained, “I have a mild case of the virus, but knowing I would be making art pulled me out of bed.”
There is a new exciting offering for students of all levels. Private lessons in dance, acting, chess, voice, guitar, cello, and piano are taught virtually by Gold Coast’s renowned teachers.
Gold Coast Arts students and instructors, many of whom are public school teachers, have adapted easily to online technologies because it is the same as what’s used for their schoolwork during the pandemic. Our dedicated dance division is finding creative ways to continue their classes for example; ballet students train and do their warm-up exercises at home using a chair instead of the traditional barre typically found in the dance studio.
Robotics instructor Kayla Ho developed a virtual program which enables the students to create 3D robots which continues to challenge her students.
For more information about the online arts classes, and other great programming visit www.goldcoastarts.org.
The Gold Coast Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) multi-arts organization dedicated to promoting the arts through education, exhibition, performance, and outreach. For a quarter-century, it has brought the arts to tens of thousands of people throughout the Long Island region. Among the Center’s offerings are its School for the Arts, which holds year-round classes in visual and performing arts for students of all ages and abilities; a free public art gallery; a concert and lecture series; film screenings and discussions; the annual Gold Coast International Film Festival; and initiatives that focus on senior citizens and underserved communities. These initiatives include artist residencies, after-school programs, school assemblies, teacher-training workshops, and parent-child workshops. The Gold Coast Arts Center’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. The Gold Coast Arts Center is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts “Partners in Education” program and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.goldcoastarts.org.
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