(b. 1982) Beth Giacummo is an artist, arts activist, curator and educator

living and working in NY. Mrs. Giacummo holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts

and an MFA in New Forms from Pratt Institute.

 

As an artist, she has exhibited her work both regionally and internationally in venues

throughout New York, Romania, Russia, Spain, Italy, Chile and Denmark. Her interest in

blown glass and travel has led her to many cities and countries where she has had the

opportunity to live, study and participate in artist residencies. Some of these locations

include - Escola d’Arts Plastique I Disseny, Spain, Pilchuck School of Glass, Seattle,

Washington, Mallnitz, Austria, Bobald, Romania  and the Danish School of Design,

Copenhagen, Denmark, Studio Borgo, Lucca, Italy (2014, 2015) and Glaspustning Jyderup

Højskole, Denmark, Valparaiso, Chile (2015) and Saltonstall, Ithica, New York (2016).

Poland and Sweden (2018).

 

Her public and large scale sculptures have been exhibited through the Patchogue Arts Council PAC MAC Festival (2014, 2015) Patchogue Arts on Terry Festival (2016) and National Endowment for the Arts grant for “Arts Engagement in American Communities” with Dowling College; Sculptural Interactions at Idle Hour (2015). Giacummo has received a number of grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts( NYFA) and the NY State

Council for the Arts (NYSCA) in support of numerous projects and residencies.

 

Creating private residency opportunities inspired by her own experiences, Giacummo has collaborated with co-directors Dan Lachacz and Jessica McAvoy to fundraise and organize the first NY Contemporary Art Symposium 2013 and 2015, which provided a residency on Long Island for 12+ international artists. The goal of this Symposium was to encourage and improve the cultural exchange between artists and collaborating communities. The Fall of 2016 NYCAS hosted a special residency for artists from Chile. Mrs. Giacummo collaborated with the IMA - International Meeting of Art organization recognized in a number of countries. This was their first project in NY and with NYCAS and the Islip Art Museum as a collaborator.

 

Wearing many hats within the art world Giacummos’ professional experiences range from arts education, higher ed, curriculum building, curatorial work, museum management, gallery management, exhibition direction, non-profit building, arts activism, fundraising and international program development for artists and students.

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As a local arts activist, Mrs. Giacummo is proud to have served as President for the Patchogue Arts Council (2011-2013), founding mem- ber since 08’, Chair of Graphics/Promotions for the PAC (M)usic (A)rt (C)inema Festival/ PAF (2014/2015), Graphics/Promotions and promotion for Arts on Terry (2016), Patchogue Arts Council Walking Arts Tour (2009-2013), Co-chair of the Patchogue Arts Festival (2009-2013), Co-curator / Chair of Promotions for the Patchogue Arts Biennial  (2009,2011), and Chair of the Lobby Arts gallery(2009-2012). Over the years She has been awarded a number of honors including; a certificate of congressional recognition and a number of proclamations from the NY government in recognition of her service to the community.

 

Recently Mrs. Giacummo has collaborated with Loretta Corbisiero as a special topics Professor for Dowling College, co -founded, co-leading the colleges first arts study abroad program to Lucca, Italy (2014). Her background includes instruction, course writing, stu- dent advisement, mentoring during her time as a Full time Professor of Fine Arts/ Design and Art Theory / Criticism for Briarcliffe College (2010-2014), Exhibition program and management as Chief Curator of the Briarcliffe College Gallery (2010-2014), All media studio Instruction as Assistant to the Director of The Center for Visuals Arts in Blue Point, NY (2000-2012), Visual Arts Consultant and Artist Residency Coordinator for the East End Arts Council (2010-2011), Independent curator and NYFA trained artist consultant (2004 – Present) have attributed to her current  position with the Islip Art Museum.

 

In 2010, Giacummo was appointed Exhibition / Curatorial Director and Senior Curator at the Islip Art Museum. Dedicated to the development of arts and culture on Long Island, Mrs. Giacummo has created a number of new programs and collaborative initiatives on behalf of the Islip Art Museum. Creating opportunities for collaboration between artists, collectives and organizations on a grand scale has resulted in programs such as, IAM a LI artist residency (2016), NYFA Artist Consultations, Hit The Lights, IAM Up Late (after hours events), Slide Slam Series, South Shore Arts Tour (Co Chair Jessica McAvoy) - Long Islands largest arts tour linking Bellport to Babylon through cooperation with each towns chambers and respective arts council. In addition Giacummo works to secure funding from national funding agencies such as NYSCA, County and private funding  to  continue  the  museums’ mission  and reputation of 40+ years as the leading exhibition space for contemporary art on Long Island.

 

In August of 2016 (presently), Mrs. Giacummo was appointed to the position of part time Gallery Director for the Farmingdale State College Memorial Gallery.

 

As of April 2017, Giacummo proudly returned to the Patchogue Arts Council as their first executive director. Through her leadership and strategic planning the organization has redefined their space as the Museum of Contemporary Art L.I. and is considered a leading arts organization on Long Island. Their ambitious and innovative exhibitions/events serve the entire Nassau and Suffolk communities.

 

In 2020 (through present) she curated, organized, and fundraised MoCA L.I.ghts, Long Island's first site specific projection exhibition that transformed the Village of Patchogue into an immersive open-air museum experience for 250,000+ viewers. This event utilized new media and technology and exposed the community to an underrepresented for of Contemporary Art, and utilized non-traditional platforms such as the marquee of the historic Patchogue Theatre to display digital artworks, and the facades of buildings through out the downtown to display commissioned light works.

 

 Most recently, she is serving as the project director for numerous grants including raised over 1.9 million in funding from federal and local grant entities include the Department of Education, Department of Justice, National Endowment for the Arts, NY State Council for the Arts and Suffolk County. In the past three years she has also secured funding from highly competitive private foundations and corporate sponsors.

 

She continues her own private art-making practice with a focus on creating in residencies and opportunities often outside of Long Island, in addition to selective art education opportunities including the preparation of a proposal for an international doctoral program.

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Image credit | By BMigs Photo - Scan from an original wet plate collodian portrait, 2023