Local artists’ work on display at Little Neck exhibit
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
She picked her passion over
programming.
It seems a lot of people are
feeling anxious these days and
searching for ways to cope with
their fears and insecurities. Accidental
artist Galina Galmer
found her own escape route
through the healing power of
art. “
I find a safe place for my
thoughts and experiences on my
canvases,” she explained.
You wouldn’t think someone
who’s into no-nonsense computer
programming, would have a
creative bone in their body. But
that wasn’t the case with this
passionate grandmother of six,
who re-discovered herself as a
painter after 28 years of working
with computers at Queens
College.
And her life hasn’t been the
same since.
For the Moscow native who
emigrated to the U.S after leaving
the former Soviet Union
in 1981 with her husband and
young daughter, changing gears
was quite spontaneous, as if a
light bulb went on one day.
Now, art lovers can enjoy the
fruits of her epiphany by viewing
her 15 acrylic and oil paintings
– now on display through
Jan. 31, 2020, in Little Neck. The
dynamic exhibition is presented
by Commonpoint Queens’ Sam
Field Center, located at 58-20
Little Neck Pkwy.
Turns out there is a connection
between programming and
creating art.
“Both utilize logic and imagination.
It is a healthy marriage
of the two,” the artist said.
And, it’s well known that art
can be therapeutic. For a selfdescribed
introvert like Galmer
– who realized she could quite
literally paint her anxiety and
troubles away – it was wonderfully
cathartic, as well. Fueled
by raw emotion, each creation
became a portrait of her soul;
a self-portrait. But most importantly,
she had finally found her
voice.
“If person has a tragedy,
he expressed himself through
crying. If she experienced happiness,
she is smiling. But how
does one express these feelings
on a canvas using colors? That
was my philosophical question,”
Galmer shared.
“I started to listen to my feelings
A new art exhibition that showcases 15 paintings by local creative
Galina Galmer is on view through Jan. 31, 2020 in Little Neck.
Courtesy of Richard Goodbody
and spend time releasing
my energy on canvas. That is
how my art was born. It is my
poetry!”
Growing up, a young Galmer
was surrounded by music and
art. Her mom was a professional
violin player at a musical theater
in Moscow and her beloved
grandfather was a painter — he
died when she was a child. Today,
Galmer said she still finds
solace and constant inspiration,
thanks to his guidance, for he
continues to serve as her muse
– even if only in spirit.
“When I was a child, on
weekends my father was taking
me to visit my grandparents. My
grandpa was always painting.
In the summertime you can see
him in a garden, surrounded by
beautiful flowers,” she recalled.
“I remember sitting next to him
and trying to copy him. I loved
colors.”
Later, it was Galmer’s artist/
sculptor husband who would
inspire her. Michael Izrael
Galmer’s pieces have been exhibited
in several museums in
New York and across the United
States.
Galina Galmer’s artwork
probably says more about her
than she can say about herself.
“Sometimes, it can be difficult
to express my feelings. Using
paint brush, I was able to express
my deepest feelings, fears
and insecurities on canvas,” she
explained. “Life has become
more interesting and is more
colorful now for me.”
“Now, when my paintings
are on view at Sam Field, so
many people can see them, and
I hope it will touch their hearts
and soul,” she added.
Working in her tiny home
studio in Jamaica, Galmer says
she feels freer and more spontaneous
than ever before.
“But the most productive
spot is definitely my kitchen,”
she said.
“So many things are happening
there at the same time: Dinner
is cooking, my dog is next to
me barking or sleeping, somebody
is calling, I can see what is
going on outside in my garden.
So, life is continuing and gives
me more positive emotions. And
I am painting!”
Tues. & Wed. $1895
1 1/4 lb. Lobster, Clams, and Mussels
Served with Corn on the Cob
and Baked Potato
with Purchase of 2 Cocktails,
2 Wines or 2 Beers
TIMESLEDGER,40 NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2019 QNS.COM
/QNS.COM
