Dan Christoffel,
Painter, Sculptor, and Professor of Fine Arts, Long Island University
Dan Christoffel is a celebrated artist who has earned both national and international acclaim as a portrait painter and sculptor. Yet his greatest passion is teaching, sharing his talent and skill with fledgling artists and helping them to bloom. In addition to his appointment as University Professor from the Office of the President at Long Island University, he has served as an arts educator in a number of Nassau County school districts.
Dan Christoffel began his 50-year career in education as a teacher and artist in the Bellmore-Merrick CHSD. He was a champion of the district’s advanced placement art program, helping students to earn college credits, as well as scholarships to some of the most prestigious art schools in the state, all while still in high school. He also created a mentoring program in which students served as mentors to one another.
Dan Christoffel earned the Long Island Supervisors “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Adelphi University, and was named Teacher of the Year by a number of organizations including the Long Island Art Teachers Association, the Parent Teacher Student Association, the Kiwanis Club, and the Bellmore-Merrick school district. He earned the “People Who Have Made a Difference” Award as a member of the Calhoun High School Hall of Fame in the Bellmore-Merrick CHSD, and is a recipient of the Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society Award.
Dan Christoffel holds a place of distinction on the Artist’s Registry at the National September 11th Memorial Museum, and two of his sculptures commemorating 9/11 can be viewed on the museum’s website. He has served as President of the Long Island Art Teachers Association, guest lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Curator of the Partnership for Cultural Development, and a board member for the Art League of Long Island.
"Mr. Christoffel is an outstanding teacher, mentor and friend to all those who are fortunate enough to know him,” wrote his award nominator. “His name is synonymous with excellence in art and education. He has influenced the lives of thousands of students over his long career, and his expertise and commitment have earned him distinction as an artist, an educational professional and a philanthropist.”
“Mr. Christoffel taught us with contagious enthusiasm in a classroom environment that was filled with cultural knowledge,” one Bellmore-Merrick alum recalls. “He made all of his students feel important and capable. With his encouragement, we competed in local and state art competitions and often won awards.”
Career Summary
Exhibiting artist with fifty years teaching experience. Expertise in oil painting, drawing, terra cotta, stone and steel sculpture, and print making. Accomplished portrait artist and art lecturer including visiting lecturer at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Committed to excellence in Education.
Professional Experience
- 2003 to Present – Artist in Residence - Long Island University at C. W. Post Campus
- Board Member - Art League of Long Island
- Adjunct Professor of Art - Long Island University at C.W. Post Campus
- Visiting Artist - Bethpage UFSD
- Visiting Artist at Syosset UFSD and Westbury UFSD
- Visiting Artist – Great Neck Arts Center
- Art Lecturer – Garden City Cultural Club
- 2002 – 2003 – Artist in Residence – Long Island University at C. W. Post Campus
- 2001 - 2002 – Curator of Fine Arts – The Long Island Partnership for Cultural Development
- 1960 – 2001 – Educator and Artist: Bellmore-Merrick CHSD; Studio in Art, Drawing and Painting 1 and 2, Drawing and Painting 3 and 4, Sculpture - (Stone, Metal, Clay), AP Art
- Instructor: Adult Education
- Lecturer: Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Exhibiting Artist
Education
- Post Masters – Area of study: Print making; Long Island University at C. W. Post Campus, Brookville, New York
- Master of Fine Arts – Major: Painting, SUNY at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York
- Bachelor of Science - Major: Art Education, SUNY at New Paltz, New Paltz, New York
- Undergraduate – Area of study: Traditional Painting, Art Student’s League, New York, NY
- Undergraduate – Area of study: Classical Sculpture, National Academy, New York, NY
Awards and Professional Recognition in Education
- Edgar B. Allen award – Outstanding teacher - 1968
- Long Island Art Teachers Association’s Outstanding teacher of the year – 1976
- Bellmore-Merrick CHSD – Teacher of the Year award – 1980
- PTSA Teacher of the Year – 1986
- Merrick Kiwanis Club – Teacher of the Year – 1990, 1992
- Educator of the month – Channel 55 – 1998
- Nominated by Bellmore-Merrick CHSD as New York State Educator of the year
Awards, Exhibitions, and Professional Recognition as an Artist
- Award of Excellence – A&S Juried exhibit – 1964, 1965, 1966
- Award of Excellence in painting – Allied Artist – 1968
- Montreal Expo – 1976
- Award of Excellence in sculpture – Allied Artist – 1980
- New York State Art Teachers Award of Excellence – Juried exhibit – 1981
- Award of Excellence – Parrish Museum in East Hampton – Juror – Larry Rivers – 1985
- Long Island Invitational Parrish Museum – Second Place – 1990
- Salmagundi Club Open Juried Exhibit – Honorable mention – 1992
- Salmagundi Club Award of Excellence – 1994
- Award of Excellence – Open Juried Exhibit – Hutchins Gallery – C. W. Post Campus – 1996
- Long Island Open Juried Show at Nassau Community College Fire House Plaza Art Gallery, (Garden City, NY), C.W. Post Campus – 2002-2006
- Guild Hall, 2005, (East Hampton, NY)
- Adelphi University – 2002-2006
Solo Exhibitions
- Prime Art Gallery, 1960, (Soho, NY)
- Fort Sill Gallery, 1961, (Oklahoma)
- Port Washington Library, 1962, 1970, (Port Washington, NY)
- New Paltz Community Gallery, 1963, (New Paltz, NY)
- A&S Invitational, 1965, 1966, (Hempstead, NY)
- New Paltz State University Gallery, 1967, (New Paltz, NY)
- Molloy College, 1969, (Rockville Centre, NY)
- Bellmore Memorial Library, 1970, 1972, (Bellmore, NY)
- Wantagh Library, 1971, (Wantagh, NY)
- Westbury Library, 1974, (Westbury, NY)
- Bicentennial Exhibit – Bellmore Memorial Library, 1976, (Bellmore, NY)
- Blue Mountain Gallery, 1980, (Soho, NY)
- Long Island Art League, 1982
- Phantasma Gallery (Windham, NY) “Sculpting Mythologies” – March, 2006
Recent Exhibitions
- The Oyster Bay Historical Society "The Roosevelts Next Door....Portraits of Devotion" (Oyster Bay, NY) 2001
- Alfred Van Loen Gallery, South Huntington Library "Lincoln and the Civil Rights Mural" (Huntington Station, NY) 2011
- Wells Memorial Library “Jazz: Paintings and Drawings,” (Upper Jay, NY) 2010
- Gettysburg College “An Artist and Lincoln,” (Gettysburg, PA) 2010
- Newsday Article “Artist Dan Christoffel’s Presidents Day,” January 29, 2010 by Jim Merritt/Special to Newsday
- CNBC interview with Chuck Scarborough “Presidents Day,” (New York, NY) 2010
- Wells Memorial Library “An Artist and Lincoln,” (Upper Jay, NY) 2009
- Theodore Roosevelt Association “TR and the Horse: comrades in arms, friends in life,” (Oyster Bay, NY) 2009
- Hutchins Gallery, “Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator and His Legacy,” C.W. Post Campus, LIU (Brookville, NY) 2009
- Huntington Art League “Annual Portrait Competition” Juror and exhibit Coordinator, (Huntington, NY) 2009
- Roslyn Library “Dan Christoffel: Retrospective Exhibit,” (Roslyn, NY) 2008
- Adelphi University “Sculpture Biennial 2006-2007” (Garden City, NY)
- Adelphi University “Sculpture Biennial 2005-2006” (Garden City, NY)