Jeffrey Berman

Longtime Sea Gate resident and watercolor artist who teaches at Seaside Innovative Senior Center

Jeffrey Berman, 77, is a Coney Island native who has lived in Sea Gate since establishing his first artist's studio here when he was in his 30s. He recounts how he got interested in art and studied drawing at the Art Students League for 2-1/2 years before being allowed to register for a painting class. His watercolors and pastels have won awards from the Salmagundi Art Club and the Oil Pastel Society of America, among others, and 125 pieces were commissioned by New York State for a new pavilion at Coney Island Hospital. He has taught watercolor and pastel for over 14 years at the Salmagundi Art Club, and for over 5 years at the Pastel Society of America. On teaching drawing from life at the Seaside Innovative Senior Center, located just outside of Sea Gate, he says: "For older artists, this is a good thing. You have to develop a memory for what you're looking at, so a lot of things go into working from life especially when you're older. You get eye hand coordination. You have to think, your mind gets new pathways."