Art as connection: Trinity Community Art Center to launch with mural, children’s exhibit

“Zeal is to be on fire, to have every part of us aflame with whatever that vocation is or whatever mission you are trying to accomplish…,” Father Andrew Garnett said in his April 7 service at Trinity Episcopal Church in Northport Village. While Father Garnett was reflecting on Apostle Thomas, and how doubt can be transformed into faith, the word zeal stuck with some congregants

It’s exactly how Bob and Nancy Hendrick describe their passion for the Trinity Community Art Center, a new project managed by the couple and fully supported by Father Andrew and the church. Bob’s eagerness and enthusiasm – his fire – was especially evident earlier this month, during a tour of the St. Bedes building just across the courtyard from Trinity: a multipurpose creative space for artists, families, and children that the Hendricks cannot wait to share with the public. 

“We are so excited,” Bob said, anticipating the opening of the art center and its inaugural events in just a few weeks. 

The impetus of everything  
If you’re familiar with the Hendrick name, it’s likely because of the couple’s Main Street series, – a growing collection of artwork depicting Northport Village businesses and destinations – and Bob’s penchant for promoting his and Nancy’s work on social media. 

The first piece in the series was supposed to be a standalone, a gift to one of Bob’s sons after getting engaged in December 2021 at the Northport Village dock gazebo. Bob’s father  proposed to his future-wife by the dock 80 years earlier. To memorialize the events, Bob painted his own rendition of the snow-capped gazebo, a Christmas tree adorned with lights under it. 

When Bob shared the image online, he received immediate positive feedback – so much so that he and Nancy were soon giving a limited number of prints away, via a free raffle, at the Shipwreck Diner. 

“And that truly, really is the impetus of everything,” Bob said.

In four short months, the series has expanded to works featuring more views from the harbor, plus portraits of Gunther’s Tap Room, Einstein’s Attic, and Artisan House, a work scheduled to be unveiled at the Northport Chamber of Commerce meeting at Trinity Community Art Center (TCAC) on May 13. With other works completed and more being planned, the Hendricks are moving forward with multiple visions for their work, and the community, at a rapid pace. 

It’s become a theme for the couple who, before even officially opening the TCAC doors, have welcomed in visitors and fellow artists and are working on plans for everything from art competitions and adult classes to exhibits and events for kids. 

“It grew out of what we do”
With the Main Street series established, Bob decided a couple months ago to ask around and see if anyone knew of a vacant space to host a pop-up exhibit for a few months. A few connections and phone calls later, Bob and Nancy found themselves at Trinity Church, an original watercolor of the historic church in hand (it had made the list of locations to be documented by the Hendricks). They looked at the church and its gymnasium before being taken next door, to a building purchased by the church in 1954. It wasn’t being used. 

The space needed work, but it was perfect, Bob and Nancy said. The original floors, hidden under carpet, were uncovered and repainted the same green color as when the space was used as a Sunday school. The walls were painted white, the original windows kept as is, their slight amber cast and wavy imperfections lending an impressionist vibe to the view outside. The Hendricks were all in. They envision the Trinity Community Art Center as an active artist studio in which members of the community can engage with resident artists. The space will also include the Main Street Gallery, showcasing those Main Street series pieces that led the Hendricks here to Trinity, as well as the works of other artists looking to showcase their craft. “We want to make sure people who don’t normally get exposure, get exposure,” Bob said. “As an artist, you really want people to see your work. When people see your art and it affects them, that means more than anything, you know?”

The art will be accessible – and attainable too, with prices ranging from $20 for a print to $75 for a giclee and original works selling for around $300. “We want to keep it reasonable,” Bob said. “So if anybody in the area wants to come in, pick up a print, pick up an original work of art, they're not going to spend a fortune on it. We’re professional artists, but we’re working with the church. This is all about the church. We'll never overcharge for anything.”

“We wanted something bigger than us”
Lifelong Long Islanders, Nancy and Bob both grew up on the north shore. They dated for three years beginning in 1981 before going their separate ways in life, and starting families of their own. Many decades later, the two – now single again – reunited thanks to Facebook. They were married six years ago at Sunken Meadow Beach, then moved around a bit, including to Tennessee and California, before returning to Long Island. 

The two own Hendrick Fine Art Faux Creations, a company specializing in decorative wall finishes (a classic painting technique that adds depth, color, and dimension to a wall), which they do together. “It’s another way of being an artist,” Bob said, and brings in more money than the fine arts. “Art is our passion. This is the bread and butter.” 

What brings them back to the TCAC with such fervor, though, is a sense of community, the same sense of community that inspired (and pushed forward) the Main Street series, and the thought of giving back to that community. To date, the Hendricks have used their art to raise money for St. Jude’s and Shriners children’s hospitals, and the nonprofit military organization Hope for the Warriors, to name a few. 

“We like to make money, but giving back to the community is bigger than us,” Bob said. “It's just something we have to do.”

This is us: A community mural and kids’ art show coming up…
A soft opening the weekend of May 4 will mark the beginning of the TCAC’s “This is Us” community mural, a permanent work that invites kids and adults to come in and leave their own art on the back wall. Stencils will be available for those who need a little inspiration, and Bob and Nancy expect that, once inside, people will be moved to participate. “We want everybody to join in,” Bob said, reflecting a common refrain of the church itself. “This is the energy of the community. And when we think of community we're not talking about  just Northport Village. We're not talking about just Huntington township. Whoever walks through those doors is a part of our community. We want to embrace the community. And the only way to embrace the community is to welcome everyone. Everyone's an artist and this is us.”

On Saturday, May 11, the TCAC will host a reception for its “Spring into Art” children’s exhibit, and is currently inviting kids ages 6 through 12 to submit their own original works to be displayed in the spring-themed show. Works on canvas, on paper, and using any medium will be accepted; the whole purpose is for kids to get creative and to see their work celebrated.

The artwork will be judged, with a first through third prize and an honorable mention awarded. Sparkling apple cider will be served at the reception, too. “It's so important the kids understand, you know what? You're good enough,” Bob said. 

The Trinity Community Art Center is located at 130 Main Street in Northport. For more information on the TCAC’s upcoming events, or to get involved in the children’s exhibit, follow Hendrick Art Studio here.