The Art League of Nassau County
Founded 1925
MASTERS OF THE ALNC
The Art League of Nassau County is the home of many artists of exceptional talent and dedication to the fine arts of painting and sculpture. Many of our members have contributed considerable time and effort to serving the League and our members. This section is dedicated to those artists.
Jacqueline Weyn
Few members of our Art League have made as positive an impact as former First Vice President, Jackie Weyn. As chairperson for exhibitions Jackie, for countless seasons, managed the team that scouted out interesting and sometimes elegant venues for our shows. Extraordinarily memorable spaces included Lincoln Center and Lever House in Manhattan.
Jackie was a most accomplished watercolorist. Many members were introduced to our League through watercolor painting classes that Jackie held in her basement studio. Our richness is in our talented painter members, a resource that exists in large part through Jackie’s influence.
Along with her talent as an artist, Jackie had steadfastly stood for excellence in art and in her respect for the traditions of the Art League of Nassau County. The Jacqueline Weyn Memorial Award “Best in Show” is given to an outstanding artist who exemplifies those attributes.
Jackie joined the Art League of Nassau County in November 1972, with watercolor as her designated media. She was on the board of directors of the League for much of that time, as Exhibition Chairperson and later as First Vice President. Jackie and Ted graciously lent the League their living room for board meetings, and provided space in their garage for all of the big stuff, like exhibition racks and overhead mirrors that the League used in its activities.
Jackie was instrumentally responsible for a great many of the watercolorists who joined the Art League. Through her reputation as a watercolor teacher, she drew aspiring painters to her classes, and transmitted the benefits of the League to the most promising students. As new board members came in to serve in critical roles in the League administration, Jackie set the standard for the values that the League has long stood for– excellence in painting, the best possible venues for our exhibitions and service to the membership.
Dan Slapo
Dan Slapo was recognized by the Pastel Society of America as a Master Pastelist, having won three major prizes in their Annual Show in three different years, a difficult award to achieve. He was a Hall of Fame Honoree in 2013 by the PSA. Dan’s work was published in many magazines, including Pastel Journal where he won First Prize in
Portraiture beating 1400 other artists. Dan won over 200 prestigious awards in national and international competitions.
At age forty, with an MA in Art Education Dan began a 25-year career teaching in the New York City Public School System as an art teacher, predominantly as a high school art teacher. “I taught these students the same as I teach today: the fundamentals of value, edge, plum line, and grids”. He was a valued pastel teacher for many years in his studio at his home in Westbury.
Dan learned pastel from Joe Lowe in Manhattan. Once a week Dan joined professional artists, like Murray Miller and Alex Fourier, at the Salmagundi Club where a model would pose for them. A life member of the Art Students’ League, Dan was drawn to portrait art because he just liked people. He found people more of a challenge than landscape painting--getting the right proportions of that particular face was an
exciting test for him.
A devoted member, Dan was President of the Art League of Nassau County from 1985 to 1987 and then spent twenty years as chair of Programs. The Art League honored Dan at our Holiday Dinner in 2013 for his dedication to art, to his students, and to the Art League of Nassau County. Since Dan's passing the ALNC is proud to recognize deserving artists with the Dan Slapo Memorial Award of Excellence at our Membership Exhibitions.