By Kevin Zimmerman
In the first moments after Hurricane Sandy made landfall in the Rockaways, the churning seawater rushed ashore, headed straight up Marina and Kevin Callaghan’s street and completely flooded their basement, where it destroyed Kevin’s art studio and much of his work.
It was devastating to realize nearly every one of Kevin Callaghan’s creations was gone in a flash, but after hearing the fates of some of their neighbors, including three who died that night, the Callaghans knew the loss of art and other possessions warranted little grieving.
“My husband just accepted it immediately,” said Marina Callaghan, a board member of the Rockaway Artists Alliance. “But for a lot of people it was so demoralizing and so horrific to lose most of their art. It was hard to accept.”
The alliance, which started about 20 years ago, was created to provide a nurturing place for artists to create and display their work. Its offices are based in Rockaway Park, but its two galleries are in Fort Tilden, which took a major hit from Sandy.
Like many people who survived a traumatic incident, many alliance members experienced the classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, Callaghan said.
“Some people became very angry and they didn’t even know who they were angry at,” Callaghan said. “Others felt sorry for themselves and some people even got sick.”
Even with the passing of a year some artists remain stuck, Maryann McEvoy, another RAA board member, said.
“I talked with one artist this past summer and she said, ‘Oh, you’ve started quilting again?’” McEvoy said. “She just couldn’t get back into it.”
It also took the RAA some time to get back to their mission. With board members dealing with everything from the loss of a car up to the complete destruction of their homes, holding meetings and planning art shows seemed inappropriate. They also needed time to salvage the buildings they maintain at Fort Tilden.
Building T6, which the RAA used as a small gallery, suffered major damage. Next door, Building T7 had fewer structural issues but still needed work after the pipes froze and burst when the entire Fort Tilden campus was shut down for months.
This coming weekend, Building T7 opens with the RAA’s newest exhibition: Calm/Storm/Rebirth. About 45 artists have created works that revolve around the days leading up to Sandy and its continuing aftermath.
Pieces include oil, watercolor and acrylic paintings, sculptures and photographs. Paintings of idyllic beach scenes give way to photographs of burned-out homes and scattered belongings hidden in mounds of sand.
Throughout the show, which runs until Nov. 24, the RAA has planned special events. On Oct. 29, the anniversary of the storm, the gallery will hold a night of reflection with relaxing music setting a quiet tone. Then on Nov. 2, visitors can watch John Sica’s film “7 Miles to Shore,” about Dylan Smith, the young Rockaway man who rescued several people the night of the storm using his surfboard. Smith died in a surfing accident months later.
“It is touching, heartbreaking and exhilarating,” Callaghan said. “It is trying to honor him and his family. They were a family that gave back.”
The RAA also tries to give back to the community through its message that art heals.
“Part of our mission is to provide shows for the community and to have people come and experience whatever they feel whether that is joy or sadness,” Callaghan said. “I hope people come and say good job. And I hope we inspire people.”
