Save The Theatre
A Night at The Oscars Gala
Wednesday September 27, 2023 7PM-11PM
Flowerfield Celebrations, St. James, New York
Our Mission
Celebrate St. James - Past - Present - Future, Our mission is to preserve and celebrate St. James’ rich history and inspire an appreciation and knowledge of the arts in our community. Our goal is to revitalize St. James as the flourishing hamlet it once was by bringing the cultural arts to our community to drive economic growth.
A Message From The President
A Night at the Oscars! Our 2023 Annual Fundraising Gala promises to put the "celebrate" in Celebrate St. James!
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Get ready to walk our red carpet in your most elegant attire and join us for an evening of glamour and glitz as you dine and dance the night away. 2023 marks the 5th anniversary for Celebrate St. James as a not for profit organization actively engaged in promoting the cultural arts through the presentation of a wide variety of events for our community.
Will we be able to continue to offer such rich experiences for all ages? We will, but only with your support. With your generous donations to help save the historic St. James Calderone Theater building, we hope to have a permanent home for a cultural arts center.
This milestone year is a time to reflect on the initiative and imagination of the three extraordinary visionaries who are the founders of Celebrate St. James: Jack Ader, Arline Goldstein, and Natalie Weinstein. With profound pride in their accomplishments, we have selected them as our honorees and invite you to join us in applauding their tireless dedication to enriching our lives through the arts.
With sincere appreciation for
your generous support,
- Doris Meyer, President
Celebrate St. James
Honoring Our Founders
Jack Ader
Jack Ader, a founding member and Executive Vice President of Celebrate St. James, has had professional experience in several fields. In his early life he was involved in theater and film, and later he worked in the printing industry as an estimator and manager of several large print firms in Manhattan. Jack was recruited by Peter Arnell, a highly esteemed photographer and owner of a premier branding and marketing firm in New York City, to work for his company. Jack remained in this business for almost twenty years and often collaborated with Mr. Arnell on many projects. Since Jack’s retirement from the printing industry in 2011, he has had great success as a well-known published photographer. His iconic photo of the American flag that survived the terrorist attacks on September 11th and was found in the rubble of the World Trade Center has been archived by New York State and was displayed in the 9/11 Tribute Center in New York City. Jack’s collection of photographs of many historic sites in St. James were showcased in an 18-month calendar which has raised funds for Celebrate St. James and promoted an awareness of what St. James has to offer.
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Jack is curator for the art shows that are presented by Celebrate St. James, and, thanks to Jack, the series of exhibits is a very popular one among artists and the residents of St. James.
He and his wife Harriet and children moved to St. James in 1973 and he is pleased to be a leader in Celebrate St. James, an organization that is dedicated to preserving the history of St. James and promoting the cultural arts.
Arline Goldstein
The talents of Arline Goldstein, Vice President and Co-founder of Celebrate St. James, were recognized at a very young age when it was apparent that painting was a special gift that gave her great joy. Her education began with Saturday classes at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn and continued at Washington Irving High School,
New York City and Stony Brook University, where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, a Fine Arts Degree and a Master’s Degree in Liberal Arts. Arline’s techniques were further enhanced at the Art Students League of New York and on painting trips in France and Ireland.
Arline appeared live on “Good Morning America” to highlight her work at Old Westbury Gardens and on Long Island’s News 12 to discuss her painting, “Pink Roses”. After retiring from Longwood Central School as an art teacher and teacher of the gifted, she opened a home studio to instruct youngsters and adults. She later joined the staff of the Smithtown Arts Council as an instructor and when she was asked to serve as President, she organized the “Backyard Painters”, a plein aire group. For several years after that service, with the support of the Smithtown Historical Society, she organized “The Art Market" at the Brush Barn, a most successful event where she and other local artist exhibited their work. From 2016 until 2020, she instructed classes in drawing and painting in “Studio 455,” a popular studio and art gallery she opened in the hamlet of St. James, New York.
Natalie Weinstein
Natalie Weinstein, Allied ASID, award winning interior designer and president of Natalie Weinstein Design Associates is co-founder of Celebrate St. James Past-Present-Future and was its first president from 2017-2021. Graduating magna cum laude with degrees in elementary education and music from Queens College, she later received her degree in interior design and subsequently became master teacher and executive director of the Willsey Institute for Art and Interior Design. Her media credits include the PBS TV pledge special “Change Your Home and Life with Natalie Weinstein”, and over two decades on WALK Radio hosting “The Home Show with Natalie Weinstein”. She has authored The 100 Most Often Asked Interior Design Questions and the Change Your Home and Life Workbook and CDs as well as a children’s decorating book, Katrina’s New Room.
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​During her tenure as president of Celebrate St. James, she collaborated with vice president Jack Ader to bring an original production “99 Minutes from Broadway” to the public. The show highlighted St. James’ rich history as a vaudeville town.She spearheaded the first Celebrate St. James gala honoring outstanding community difference makers and is credited withbringing together the town and community to create Celebrate Park. She now acts as advisor to the Celebrate St. James organization.