Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Katheryn Laible. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Katheryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

I can’t pick just one thing, there’s too much to sort through, but I can say the most overwhelming experience of kindness I’ve had wasn’t done by a person, but by a community.

There are experiences in life that fundamentally break trust; that demoralize; that make us feel that no matter how much we give, how hard we try, our labors will never come to fruition because some outside force, or even worse a trusted friend, is just going to smash it.

That’s how I felt at the opening of last summer when things changed and the most likely conclusion was that our investment was lost and the beloved decade-old community gallery we steward together was through.

I give it my best to focus on the good stuff, but I’ve experienced some awful things. I don’t know if I’d ever felt such frustration and despair.

At first, we couldn’t even discuss it. It was horrible. The only consolation was having my amazing partners there with me. I knew whatever happened we’d find the best way through for both ourselves and all we serve, which is a fantastic thing to be able to say. Still, that also made it worse because it’s awful when people you love, trust and respect suffer.

Northport, and I think Long Island as a whole, is one of the “world’s biggest small towns.” Each in our own way, we’ve long cared for its community. So, even before we understood what was happening, neighbors started to catch on. Beginning right at home, despite the major disruption to them, our artists overwhelmingly chose to stand by us.

The broader community outpouring of kindness began immediately. People just started coming in and telling us how much we meant to them. We were blessed to receive a wealth of professional guidance. Local service providers and merchants also stepped up to offer both moral and financial support. Owners of a beautiful space down the road went out of their way to make it possible for us to even consider making a leap to their doorstep. The local arts coalition offered a booth right up front at their local festival. Neighbors ranging from the local Chamber to the Mayor to fellow gallery owners, long lost friends and generous strangers stepped up to help fill the huge gap that remained.

By August 15th, even though we were mentally, physically and financially exhausted we’d found a new home, and new hope. We dared to leap, and kind support followed us. It was a study in faith and community; a testimony that even when things seem darkest there may be folks ready to make sure you don’t just survive, you end up in a place better than you dreamed possible.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve never run harder in our lives. It’s still a tight spot and we have our work cut out for us. At the same time, though, we’ve never felt more blessed. Thanks to the loving kindness of our incredible neighbors, we have the potential to craft a bright future. Our new space is gorgeous and in one of the best spots on the block.

We know we could NEVER have done it without that incredible show of kindness and community.

We are grateful.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ll tell you a little about myself and even more about the Firefly.

What we do at The Firefly is provide a supportive space where folks can find community, develop as artists, and sell their work in a professional gallery setting. In our 12 years, we’ve been privileged to host well over 400 diverse artists at our main location and in popup galleries throughout the region. We boast extraordinary talent while maintaining a down to earth and supportive atmosphere that is unique to Long Island.

My own background is as a writer and as a consultant for local nonprofits, with a focus on those that sit at the fusion point of interests. I actually only began to consider myself a visual artist in 2016 when I paired a desire to see if my work would sell with my daughter’s desire to raise money to save elephants.

We took a booth at a local festival. My best customer was named Linda. She told me she worked at The Artisan House up the road. She also told me she’d dealt with ovarian cancer for decades. After describing more than one trip to death’s door, she told me the one thing she felt saved her from both the disease and its cure was meditating on art and that my work was perfect for this. I tried to give her a few pieces, but she refused, insisting artists should be paid. She then told me about her Main Street neighbors at the Firefly.

“You should be one of them.” she said.

Impressed, I threw my hat in to become a Firefly Artist. To my surprise, they accepted me. This is how I stumbled upon something truly beautiful: A warm, welcoming, highly talented community led by two amazing women, Jennifer Lau and Kate Sydney.

I soon learned that The Firefly all started when Kate, then an emerging jewelry-crafter was working as a barista just up the road. An established mixed media artist named Cathy Nichols would come in for coffee. Together in that Main St. cafe they brewed a dream: A place where folks like them — the emerging and the established, the artist and the artisan — could find community and sell art. By 2011, they’d secured about five artists and got a little space in LaMantia Gallery, also on Main St.

Soon, they grew into their own space. By then, graphic designer and photographer Jennifer Lau had replaced Cathy, who remains a friend and may still have a piece or two in our racks. I became a Managing Partner myself when we moved in 2019 and Kate had to step back to tend to her two small boys and her growing business. We were also then joined by artist and educator Beth Atkinson and painter and framer Drigo Morin.

Together, we survived COVID and doubled our gallery in size twice before moving to our new location. We’ve begun to develop fascinating programming, including several special exhibitions and classes. Mostly, though, it’s all about our Fireflies.

It’s been a labor of love; a gallery that art built.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The loving, healing, nurturing power of art…and how over and again since joining The Firefly I’ve been impressed with my amazing fellows as we’ve worked to build not just a business, but a creative community.

We relish in giving artists opportunities to grow and delight in seeing collaborations that manifest. The cross-pollination is beautiful and entertaining. Artists are constantly being inspired and seeking to feed their fellows both as artists and as human beings.

For a while, vibrant tin cans were showing up everywhere as word got around that Firefly Diana Anton, wanted to make jewelry out of them. Firefly John Lazzaro has taken to making mini documentaries of our artists. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLEpiCIdyYA)

Firefly Jim Darcy is determined to make a painter out of me. In fact, many of our artists teach a broad array of classes. Firefly Jan Guarino, a talented watercolorist and teacher herself, likes to take it all one step further, bringing in world class rock stars of watercolor talent such as Fabio Cembranelli, Ian Fenelly, Antonio Masi, Mick McAndrews, Keiko Tanabe…

People sometimes roll their eyes – “Oh, you have to work with artists? They must be very flaky.”

Honestly, tho, I’ve never met such a clear headed, solution-oriented, “you dream it we build it” set of people – and I’ve been lucky! Firefly Mary Brodersen will say that’s at least partly because we have so many teachers involved. Teachers and mothers.

It’s a nurturing, learning, creative space.

There is SO MUCH talent here. It’s more than that, tho. Since that first experience with Linda, I’ve seen people use art to survive the most life-challenging things….illnesses and accidents, horrible experiences. Looking at our impressive collection of octogenarians, I’ve come to wonder if the act of loving creation itself taps the fountain of youth.

Many of our Fireflies do charity work, which we love to support as we can. Last summer, we welcomed in the USA Patriots: America’s Amputee Softball Team for a pre-game reception and pop-up show of Firefly Steve Caputo’s work photo-documenting them. Steve also coordinates our annual food drive. Firefly Michele Miroff regularly includes us in her work to preserve a local lighthouse. Kirk Larsen paints murals in hospitals through Splashes of Hope. There are many more examples…

I’ve seen people buy pieces to bring light to folks who suffer, and to find connection with people and times long passed. Many have told me deeply moving stories about what our artists and their works have meant to them. Several have endeavored to explain to me how art has saved their lives.

I believe them,

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

We started as a dream shared between a barista and a working artist who came every day for coffee. On Valentine’s Day, 2011, this manifested as five artists in a little sublet space. We managed to survive and thrive there, and that was wonderful.

Since then, every time we’ve hit a major obstacle we’ve ended up in a better spot on the block, wiser and stronger than before. That barista is now a beloved local jewelry crafter who is represented across Long Island. We’ve had the incredible privilege of watching so many other artists develop their incredible talents in our midst.

We’ve lost our lease multiple times. We’ve been through COVID and came out the other end stronger and more connected. I told you our latest story.

If that’s not resilience, I don’t know what is.

We just keep learning and growing!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thefireflyartists.com
• Instagram: @thefireflyartists
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefireflyartists
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katheryn-laible-05625011/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thefireflyartists9368
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-firefly-artists-northport

Image Credits
Kristen Memoli (interior shots of Firefly Gallery only)
Artist Carrie-Anne Gonzalez