The Nassau County Senior Art Program, generously sponsored by Citibank NA and coordinated by the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs, provides senior citizens with the opportunity to learn new skills and develop their hidden talents. Seniors enjoy group art instruction at the network of senior centers funded by the department. Their artworks reflect the cultural diversity of older residents, their breadth of experiences and their many interrelationships with family members, friends and neighbors. Each year, the department showcases the entries selected by each center, and judges choose several finalists for special recognition. One of these finalists is then reproduced on posters and bookmarks as part of the 'May is Older Americans Month' activities.

On April 13, Dr. Sharon Mullon, commissioner of the Department of Senior Citizen Affairs, and Diane Lazuta, Long Island Region Manager of Citibank NA, joined together to congratulate the winning artists in the 2005 Senior Art Contest at a breakfast gathering hosted by Citibank NA. Jill Casano of North Massapequa, whose clay sculpture, entitled "Horse," was chosen out of this year's 39 entries to be replicated on posters and bookmarks. A member of the Massapequa Park Senior Community Service Center, Ms. Casano said, "I went to an art class and enjoyed it so much and found out I had some talent in it. I became so interested in art that I love it now."

To learn more about Nassau County's exciting and rewarding Senior Art Program, call the Department of Senior Citizen Affairs at 227-8959.