East End Arts Celebrates 40 Years

East End Arts is having a big birthday -- the organization will mark 40 years in 2012.

And to celebrate, the organization will host a sold-out gala "Fantastic at Forty" on Saturday at Raphael Vineyard in Peconic, featuring a performance by the R&B and doo-wop group The Cleftones and silent auctions of artwork, and honoring a founding member of the group and legendary international sculptor Robert Berks.

"East End Arts has gained a reputation as a significant force in the arts on Long Island over the past 40 years," said East End Arts Executive Director Patricia Snyder. "It is so appropriate the EEA is celebrating its 40th year on the heels of being a recipient of the highly regarded Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Award."

East End Arts includes a School of the Arts, an art gallery, and a series of events year-round.

Snyder said commitment to the importance of the arts "started at day one," when the organization was founded in 1972 by a group of individuals led by Allene Carey; that dedication, Snyder said, continues today.

The East End Arts Council was born in 1972 though funding from the Woodrow Wilson Foundation. "They had defined the Riverhead area as arts deprived," Snyder said. Funding was given to the fledgling group to create arts programming in schools, libraries and public spaces, Snyder added.

Snyder, who began her career with East End Arts in 1995, said stand-out moments include winning The Neighborhood Builders Award, "a pretty significant accomplishment." In addition to bringing national recognition to the impact EEA has on the community, leadership training and an unrestricted award of $200,000 was included.

Other important milestones Snyder added, include the Harvest Gospel Concert Series, and the Community Mosaic Street Painting Festival, a favorite among residents. And, she said, the Teeny Awards are a way to honor new emerging talents on the East End.

At Saturday's event, "Tools of the Trade" will also be featured, giving guests the chance to view and bid on tools used in the artistic process.