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Friday, February 6, 2026

Islip Arts Councils new board members: Trish Zuvich, and Rachel Aviles

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February 4, 2026

Islip Arts Council Welcomes Two New Board Members,

Trish Zuvich and Rachel Aviles

The Islip Arts Council (IAC) welcomes two new Board Members at its January 22, 2026, Board Meeting. Shown left-to-right are Waldo Cabrera, IAC Board President; Trish Zuvich, Board Member; Rachel Aviles, Board Member; and Linda Weingarten, IAC Director of Operations.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Islip Arts Council Welcomes Two New Board Members,

Rachel Aviles and Trish Zuvich

Bay Shore, NY — The Islip Arts Council is proud to announce and warmly welcome two new members to its Board of Directors: Rachel Aviles and Trish Zuvich. Both women bring inspiration, creative backgrounds, strong community spirit, and a deep passion for the ARTS.

“I am truly thrilled and honored to welcome Rachel and Trish to the Islip Arts Council Board,” said Linda Weingarten, Director of Operations. “Their excitement, artistic ability, and love for creative expression is exactly what the Council stands for — and I am beyond excited to have them onboard as we enter an exciting new era of growth, community connection, and artistic expansion.”

Rachel Aviles

Rachel was raised in a home filled with music, singing in church alongside her family. Throughout her teen years, her passion grew as she performed in choirs across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Bay Shore, and took part in musicals and plays. A true multi-disciplinary creative, Rachel loves singing, acting, painting, and dancing, and has continued to share her voice into adulthood — including a notable chapter singing as a soloist with the Bay Shore Community Band for three years.

Today, Rachel has discovered an additional artform close to her heart: painting seashells, turning nature into personal pieces of art and joy. For Rachel, the ARTS are more than a hobby — they are a lifelong passion and opportunity to express herself and connect with others.

Trish Zuvich

Trish Zuvich is a Hauppauge-based artist, Fine Arts major, and IT Director who has spent the last 18 years building an impressive career in technology while nurturing a powerful and deeply personal artistic voice. Two years ago, she returned to painting with renewed purpose after witnessing Chazz Palminteri perform A Bronx Tale live — inspired by the unforgettable line: “The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.”

Trish’s work blends modern pin-up aesthetics with symbolism, emotion, and transformation, exploring themes of identity, resilience, strength, femininity as power, and reclamation. Her paintings are storytelling-driven and bold — celebrating creativity as something that lives in the soul across every stage of life.

The Islip Arts Council has played a meaningful role in Trish’s artistic evolution — welcoming her into group exhibitions, featuring her as Artist of the Month (November), and now she will help IAC shape the organization’s future from within.

Trish shared, “The Islip Arts Council has played an incredibly meaningful role in my artistic journey. I’m honored and excited to continue growing as an artist, giving back to the community, and helping support the Council’s mission moving forward.”

Looking Ahead

With the addition of Rachel and Trish, the Islip Arts Council Board continues to grow in both artistic range and community representation. With their unique backgrounds in music, performance, and visual arts the Council’s mission of keeping the arts vibrant, accessible, and thriving across Long Island will be strengthened.

For more information about the Islip Arts Council, upcoming exhibitions, and programs, please visit isliparts.org or call 631-888-3525.

MEET IAC BOARD MEMBERS AND A FEW NOTORIOUS AT THE SPEAKEASY SOIREE: A NIGHT YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS!

Step into a hidden Jazz Age Speakeasy for an unforgettable evening of live music by the Cafe Society Jazz Band and Moxie Poe, vintage glamour, and a curated Tastefully Risqué art exhibition. This evening will also include signature beverages sponsored by Artemis, immersive art experiences, and extraordinary raffles - all in support of the Islip Arts Council.

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

SPONSOR THE SPEAKEASY

THANK YOU SUPPORTERS!

Thank you to our sponsors and the dedicated people like you who continue to support the Islip Arts Council. Without your help, IAC would not be able to provide the community with new and exceptional programming.

Islip Arts Council | South Shore Mall 1701 Sunrise Hwy, Suite N1 | Bay Shore, NY 11706 US

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Lew Allen Galleries featured artists of the week is Woody Gwyn contemporary landscape artist noted for his original style.

Woody Gwyn, Untitled, n.d, oil on panel, 8 x 48 in

Woody Gwyn, Untitled (detail), n.d, oil on panel, 8 x 48 in

FEATURE OF THE WEEK

Woody Gwyn is one of America’s foremost landscape painters. He is known for his unconventional approach to composition, incredible use of detail, and the remarkable clarity of light in his scenes. His striking panoramas transform the quotidian into the extraordinary. The image's purity and vivid impact allow the experience of the painting to become the reality of the land itself. Characterized by dramatic angles, aggressive cropping, and an acute contrast between the natural and manmade, Gwyn’s work offers visually persuasive renderings of the points at which cultural history and contemporary society converge.

Woody Gwyn, Untitled, n.d, oil on panel, 8 x 48 in

This extraordinary, panoramic work, captures the majesty of the New Mexico high country. Executed in oil on panel, its dramatic 8 x 48 inch horizontal format immediately draws the viewer across a vast, sun-drenched vista, where the scale of the earth makes everything feel wonderfully small. The horizon is anchored by a jagged spine of mountains, appearing through miles of desert haze.