Erika Floreska has a keen understanding of the unique relationship between art and intellectual development. Her impressive résumé is filled with instructional and administrative roles at well-known theaters and institutions, including New York City’s Bloomingdale School of Music and Tectonic Theater Project, both benefitting from Floreska’s time as executive director; she also spent more than a decade with the Jazz at Lincoln Center program, working directly with musicians and students from around the globe. These experiences primed the Certified Fund Raising Executive, who earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan, to lead the Long Island Children’s Museum, starting as director of development in 2020 and rising to museum president in 2023. As the Garden City-based LICM prepares to open its exciting new “Saltwater Stories” exhibit, its progressive leader reflects on the inimitable relationship between artistic expression and educational achievement – and her unwavering belief in the power of interdisciplinary innovation.
Learning as she goes: I’ve spent more than 30 years working in arts education and nonprofit leadership, with a strong focus on increasing access to the arts and learning. I’ve always been drawn to roles that use the arts and play to create community and meaningful learning opportunities for children and families.
I know that place: I was familiar with the Long Island Children’s Museum long before [I worked there]. My family had a membership for many years in the early 2000s, when my kids were young.
Starting at the bottom: I began with LICM in March 2020 as director of development, right at the start of the pandemic. I started from a desk in my bedroom, producing a fully virtual fundraising gala just months into the job. It was a challenging and unusual beginning, but it gave me a strong foundation in LICM’s mission and community.
Come together: The LICM is a vital community resource and gathering place where children and families explore, imagine and learn together. Through interactive exhibits and interdisciplinary programs, we create joyful, hands-on learning experiences that spark curiosity. It’s a safe, unplugged space where the power of play helps children discover their passions and their connection to the world. [We] believe that children who play together today will work and live together tomorrow.
Home team: When I became president in 2023, I started working closely with our board chairman, Scott Burman, who has been an incredible partner. We have an incredible team of more than 100 people who bring deep commitment and creativity to their work. We have staff members who have been with us for three months and some who have been with us for decades, so we have a great mix of institutional knowledge and innovation and creativity.
Away team: LICM works closely with a wide range of partners like school districts, social service agencies, arts organizations and community groups, because we know we can’t meet the needs of all families alone. Partnering with others makes us stronger and more responsive to the community.
Collaborative classrooms: For instance, we recently worked with The Viscardi Center to create an exhibit at LICM called “Visibility of Disability.” We have a new “Community Connections” program that provides discounted LICM tickets for nonprofits that serve children and families. LICM also works with the Uniondale and Freeport school districts through (New York State) 21st Century Community Learning grants to help students develop skills that will be necessary for the workforce later in life.
Coming soon: “Saltwater Stories: We Need the Sea and the Sea Needs Me” is our first new permanent exhibit in more than a decade, and it’s something really special. Opening Oct. 11, the exhibit will explore our region’s maritime history, cultural traditions and coastal environment through immersive, hands-on experiences.
Long time coming: The exhibit was inspired by a day of “Saltwater Stories” programming more than a decade ago, where we hosted baymen, fishermen and other people connected to the sea to share hands-on programming with our visitors. That was followed by a weekend, then a multi-weekend festival. The exhibit itself has been in development for six years – it’s exciting to see the topics that resonated so deeply with visitors of those early programs become a permanent part of LICM.
Bubble boys: “Bubbles” is one of the most popular of the Long Island Children’s Museum’s many hands-on exhibits.
Island living: We worked with a team of advisors – everyone from baymen to cultural anthropologists to members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – to ensure that the exhibit reflects the diverse voices and lived experiences of Long Islanders. One really special exhibit component is an authentic mishoon, or dugout canoe, created by members of the Shinnecock Nation.
Purpose-driven: “Saltwater Stories” will instill a sense of pride of place in local visitors and put LICM on the map as a must-see destination for tourists. It will offer children new ways to explore where they live, how their communities came to be and why the sea will shape their future. We hope the exhibit will inspire families to be good stewards of Long Island’s waters.
But wait, there’s more: LICM has 14 interactive-exhibit galleries, including the fan favorite “Bubbles,” where families can use various tools to create bubbles and even get inside of one. We have a two-story indoor climbing structure allowing children to develop confidence by climbing independently while still being able to see their caregivers. “Feasts for Beasts” helps children understand animal habitats and food chains and includes a live animal collection. And “Our Backyard” is a seasonal outdoor exhibit that includes gravel and sand pits, a picnic table, an herb garden, evaporating art easels, a mud kitchen, a water-play area and a sunflower house featuring flowers native to Long Island.
Stage craft: As an interdisciplinary museum, LICM has a commitment to making sure visitors have access to both the performing and visual arts. We have an incredible dedicated theater space that has various live performances all year – from long-running productions to cultural performances and Grammy winners.
Meeting their makers: We also have the Artists’ Corner, which has rotating art exhibitions. We want young people to have the opportunity to meet and engage with professional performers and artists. Parents are sometimes not comfortable explaining art because they feel like they may not have the knowledge to do that, so having opportunities for entire families to engage with artists is so important – and it’s something we do really well.
You gotta feel it: We also regularly host traveling exhibits from other children’s museums and cultural institutions. For instance, we’re excited to welcome “Emotions at Play” next year, with Pixar’s “Inside Out” team coming in to help young people explore their emotions and understand their feelings.
Us and STEM: LICM is a leader of STEM education for early learners on Long Island. We provide inquiry-based science learning [opportunities] including STEM Weekend, our annual event featuring special guests in STEM fields. Our “Green Teens” program allows students from neighboring high schools to volunteer to develop play-based science programs for our visitors. We also have a long-term partnership with the Westbury school district, where students in grades 1-3 come to LICM for three field trips each year. The program also provides teacher professional development … and free access passes for Westbury students’ families to come to LICM anytime throughout the year.
Overcoming ignorance: With the federal government dramatically slashing education funding, the annual Cupcakes and Cocktails fundraiser is critically important to the Children’s Museum’s pro-STEM mission.
Risk is our business: Our STEM programs encourage children to ask questions and experiment without the pressure of always getting the “right” answer. In a world where kids are often taught to avoid mistakes, we create a space where taking risks is part of the learning process. We want every child to know that curiosity is valuable, failure is part of learning and science is something they can do. By the time children reach their middle- and high-school years, they’ve often already decided that science isn’t for them. LICM aims to change that by sparking a love of discovery early.
The cure to cuts: We have our annual fundraising gala, Cupcakes & Cocktails, coming up on Oct. 9, as part of the opening of “Saltwater Stories.” This event raises approximately 15 percent of our annual budget, which is tighter than ever this year due to cuts in federal funding that LICM has relied on for years. Government support has been instrumental in helping us launch key programs like the Westbury STEM partnership … however, with recent cuts in federal funding, community support is even more crucial.
Access granted: LICM has a strong focus on access and a commitment to reducing barriers families may face so that every child, regardless of their background or circumstances, can benefit from the museum’s resources. LICM offers reduced-price admission to families with EBT cards and free admission for one active duty or retired military member (or their spouse) plus one child. We want everyone to feel welcome and be able to have a playful learning experience!
Interview by Gregory Zeller
