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Long Island Press •

Nassau County’s former film commissioner Debra Markowitz brings ‘Wait List’ to Prime Video

Filmmaker Debra Markowitz has spent more than three decades bringing stories to life across Long Island, shaping the region’s film industry as Nassau County’s former film commissioner.Now, she’s continuing that work from behind the camera, telling one of her own stories against the same backdrop. Her latest feature,
“Wait List: A Love-ish Story” premiered on April 2 on Amazon Prime Video and will soon be available on YouTube, Google Play, Tubi, and other streaming platforms.
The Long Island-shot...
Newcity •

Ceninye Harris' Abstraction as a Space for Agency

Ceninye Harris did not arrive at abstraction as a matter of style. In “Configurations of the Mutable Self,” figures recede into shadow, bodies fragment at the edge of the frame and visibility itself becomes unstable. Moving between portraiture and abstraction, the work treats identity not as fixed, but as something continually in flux.On view at Caira Moreira Projects from April 9-18, the exhibition comprises seventeen works drawn from Harris’ photographic practice, spanning early images made in...
Newcity •

Zsofia Ötvös, “The Bear”’s Makeup Artist, Paints Like a Weaver

By 4am, Zsofia Ötvös is in the makeup trailer on the set of “The Bear,” massaging enzyme treatments into actors’ skin, recreating burns and blemishes and sculpting beards by hand to age a character or transport them back in time.For more than two decades, Ötvös, fifty-two, has worked across fine art, film and theater, dividing her time between productions and her painting studio in Wicker Park. Between call times and twelve-hour shoot days, she quietly observes and stores away details until a fi...
Long Island Press •

Port Washington Board of Educations begins 2026–27 budget planning

The Port Washington Board of Education met Jan. 20 to discuss early-stage planning for the district’s 2026–27 budget, starting a months-long process that will end with a public vote on May 19.Board President Adam Smith described the process as “fluid and iterative,” stressing that all proposals remain in draft form until a final budget is adopted in April. A preliminary budget is expected in March.One of the largest challenges to the district’s finances is a projected 9% increase in health insur...
Long Island Press •

Jericho’s Mason Pimsler had his own day proclaimed by former NYC Mayor Eric Adams

Most mornings by 8 a.m., Mason Blake Pimsler is already treating patients at Lincoln Medical Center. As an internal medicine and geriatric medicine physician, he provides primary care, preventive services and long-term treatment to patients from across the Bronx.Mayor Eric Adams proclaimed Nov. 7, 2025, as “Dr. Mason Blake Pimsler MD Day,” recognizing the Jericho resident’s decades-long service in HIV/AIDS care, women’s health and to individuals experiencing homelessness. The designation honored...
Long Island Press •

Oyster Bay–East Norwich Chamber President Ryan Schlotter expands programming

When Ryan Schlotter first stepped into his role as president of the Oyster Bay–East Norwich Chamber of Commerce in 2019, he brought with him the perspective of a small business owner.The 44-year-old co-founder of Oyster Bay Brewing Company is known locally for craft beers like Barn Rocker Ale and for the taproom that has become a fixture on Audrey Avenue since 2012. But for the past seven years, he has worked to expand the Chamber’s role into a year-round engine for local commerce. 
From large-s...
Medill Reports •

This brandy bottles 500 years of Bolivian history: A growing number of trendy Chicago bars are pouring Singani, the spirit director Steven Soderbergh brought to the U.S.

Down an alleyway on Palmer Street, past a nondescript door and centuries-old brick façade, a 500-year-old type of brandy, until recently little known beyond its homeland of Bolivia, is starring in one of the city’s most high-concept cocktail lineups.
At The Meadowlark, a Logan Square speakeasy renowned for its rotating themed menus, beverage director Abe Vucekovich debuted a collection of 17 solar system-inspired drinks. Among them is Quaoar, an arom...
Long Island Press •

Great Neck school board adopts safety plan, highlights anti-vaping funding

Student safety was the primary focus of the Great Neck Board of Education meeting Wednesday, Dec. 10, as trustees formally adopted an updated districtwide school safety plan and recognized new funding aimed at addressing vaping among adolescents.District officials recognized Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip for securing grant funding to support anti-vaping efforts in district schools. Board of Education President Grant Torch said the district received $200,000 to invest in equipment and progr...
Long Island Press •

U.S. citizenship interviews canceled on Long Island following USCIS pause

Immigration attorneys on Long Island report that their clients have recently had U.S. citizenship and green card interviews canceled without explanation.One of those cases involves a man who has been a lawful permanent resident for 30 years and had his naturalization interview canceled just a week before he was scheduled to appear at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Holtsville, according to his attorney, Andrea Rodriguez-Tarazi, who is based in Bohemia.“He’s renewed his gr...
Long Island Press •

North Shore board reviews business program, hears student concerns on privacy

The North Shore Schools Board of Education reviewed North Shore High School’s expanding business program as trustees heard student concerns about technology privacy and traffic safety at its Thursday, Nov. 20, meeting.Secondary Social Studies Director Seth Gordon opened with an overview of the department’s expansion, with 353 student requests for business courses last year.Gordon outlined how the department plans to respond to a new state requirement that all students receive instruction in fina...
Long Island Press •

Center for Developmental Disabilities opens renovated group homes in Woodbury

The Center for Developmental Disabilities has reopened three renovated group homes on Southwoods Road in Woodbury, upgrading accessibility and first-floor living so aging residents can remain in their homes, according to Executive Director Jay Silverstein.“The needs of the individuals had changed as they aged, so we redesigned the houses to be compatible with those needs,” he said. “More first floor living space, better layout and houses that were now compatible with the needs of the people livi...
Long Island Press •

Locust Valley students win filmmaking award

With just 72 hours to write, shoot and edit a three- to seven-minute short, three Locust Valley High School filmmakers –– Raffaele Giannattasio, Justin Kwok and Dean Wolfe –– turned a weekend challenge into an award-winning film. Working under the name Piejinks Productions, their project  —“Chronicle of a Boy Displaced” — earned Best Use of Character at the Long Island 72-Hour Film Festival held Oct. 24 at Five Towns College.“We’ve all made films independently and this presented a challenge to t...
Long Island Press •

Jericho senior wins National Future Business Leaders of America Journalism title

When Dev Lakhani was in middle school, he started selling $2 bills for $5 in the school hallway, a small hustle that gave him what he called his “first taste of entrepreneurship.”That early curiosity about business eventually led him to become a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, a national nonprofit that prepares students for careers in business and leadership.Now as a senior at Jericho High School, Lakhani earned first place in the journalism event at this year’s FBLA National L...
Chicago Reader •

Reader Bites: The communal climate of Casa Cactus

Chicago has no shortage of coffee shops, but few invite you to linger like Casa Cactus, where café de olla is served in terracotta mugs, and cafe walls easily become impromptu photo exhibits. Tucked behind a brick facade on North Elston in Albany Park, Casa Cactus’s white-lettered sign is easy to miss. But inside, the former storage space transforms into a greenhouse-style cafe, where rustic tables sit among dozens of cacti and succulents crowding every surface, some even cascading from old pain...
Meanwhile at the Museum •

The Socializer, Art Lover, and Reflector: Design Corps & Student Engagement

For three consecutive terms, Hood Museum staff worked with a Design Corps student team to revitalize student engagement with the museum. Through a comprehensive research and creative problem-solving process, Kiera Bernet ’23, Mallory Barnes ’22, Loane Bougennec ’25, and Danielle Lu ’25 used human-centered design principles and strategies to enhance campus engagement opportunities and ultimately propose a student-led project called “The Museum Journal: Pause, Pass It On,” which launched on April...
Hood Museum of Art •

Social Surrealism and the Exploration of Identity (Solo Exhibition)

The visual aesthetics of Surrealism, from dreamlike scenes to unexpected juxtapositions, allow
artists to discuss sociopolitical issues and present
aspects of identity and culture from a new
perspective. Traditionally, surrealist works evoke
a dreamlike and hallucinatory state dictated by
the unconscious––presenting audiences with an
insight into the artist’s personal interpretations of
the world around them. How could imagery that
draws from the irrational and the unconscious
convey social criticism? Latin American artists
Mika Rottenberg and Luis Gispert explore this
question, and others, through their photography
and video installations, which push beyond
traditional boundaries and conventional
narratives of Latinx communities to examine
contemporary society.
Meanwhile at the Museum •

Art as Activism: The Impact of Oree Originol’s “Justice for Our Lives” – Meanwhile at the Museum

The Hood Museum of Art’s exhibition current exhibition, ¡Printing the Revolution! The Rise and Impact of Chicano Graphics, 1965 to Now, traces the history of printmaking and the vital role Chicano graphics played in early social movements. The exhibition, originally organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum, focuses on the power of printmaking as a tool to channel social and political activism, featuring works from a range of time periods and artists. Hood Museum curators Michael Hartman,...
The Dartmouth •

‘The Watchful Eye’ premieres on Freeform, Hulu

Freeform’s upcoming mystery-thriller series, “The Watchful Eye,” premieres tonight at 9 p.m. on Freeform, and will be available for streaming on Hulu on Jan. 11. Created by Julie Durk, the female-led show hopes to offer a new perspective on the contemporary mystery thriller genre.   The Dartmouth was invited to a virtual press junket to interview executive producer Emily Fox as well as some of the show’s cast ahead of the premier.
The story follows Elena Santos, played by Mariel Molino, a young...
The Dartmouth •

Review: ‘Amsterdam’ shows the importance of community in the midst of uncertainty

David O. Russell’s latest film, “Amsterdam,” is — at its core — a historical comedy and conspiracy thriller that dives into the power of friendship and loyalty. Set primarily in 1930s New York against a backdrop of social and racial inequality, the film touches on issues of post-traumatic stress disorder, white supremacy and the rise of American fascism. Though the overarching theme is a comforting message of the value or relationships in uncertain times, this is lost due to the film’s poor paci...
The Dartmouth •

Raaz, Ujima and Sheba showcase different dance styles in spring performances

Though known for Green Key and a return to outdoor activities, spring term offers a wide range of arts-related programming and features performances from various student dance troupes, including senior shows by groups such as Razz and Ujima.
Raaz, which was founded in 2011, prides itself as “Dartmouth’s premier South Asian fusion dance team,” which “draws from a diverse range of dance styles, including classical, modern, bhangra, hip-hop, contemporary and Bollywood,” according to its website. Ra...
The Dartmouth •

79th Golden Globe Awards proceed as a private event

On Jan. 9, the 79th Golden Globe Awards took place at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, in a ceremony vastly different from any previous Golden Globe Awards. Last year, the ceremony followed a hybrid format, in which some celebrities attended in-person and others made virtual appearances. Still, the 2021 Golden Globes were televised to the public. This year’s ceremony did not include a red carpet or a televised broadcast of the event. This decision resulted from concerns about the lack of diver...
The Dartmouth •

Hood reopening to the public with a celebration

After a year and a half of closures and restrictions due to the pandemic, the Hood Museum of Art will host a reopening celebration on Saturday, Sept. 18. to officially welcome both the Dartmouth and the Upper Valley community back to the museum, with no appointment necessary during open hours.
Curator of academic programming at the Hood Amelia Kahl ’01 encouraged the College community to explore the eight exhibitions that will be featured and take advantage of the Hood’s new hybrid programming,...
The Dartmouth •

Putting the ‘art’ back in Dartmouth: the Hood Museum of Art reopens

After facing several challenges during the pandemic and having to adjust to an entirely remote setting, the Hood Museum of Art finally reopened its doors to the public on Aug. 4.
Throughout the pandemic, the Hood found alternative ways to engage with the public and hosted several virtual events, including gallery talks, “sip and sketch” evenings and writing workshops. Curator of academic programming at the Hood Amelia Kahl ’01 expressed excitement over returning to normal walk-in hours as oppose...
The Dartmouth •

Summer performing arts groups offer creative outlet for variety of students

Every year during sophomore summer, a variety of performing arts groups on campus — from a capella to dance to improvisation — open up spots for temporary members. With generally more free time and an eagerness to take advantage of all the College has to offer, sophomores usually take this opportunity to challenge themselves to acquire a new set of skills or return to an activity they stopped upon coming to Dartmouth. Though the pandemic paused this summer tradition last year, with fewer COVID-1...
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