AU REVOIR TO THE AMAZING ARTISTS AT ANIMAZING GALLERY…
“AMERICAN CRAFT GALLERY CLOSES DOORS AFTER 17 YEARS IN HASTINGS ON HUDSON”
Since 1991 Animazing Gallery in Hastings on Hudson has delighted young and old alike with whimsical and colorful animation art and unique handmade objects. Sometimes pieces are functional, sometimes not, but all are made with love in America. On June 24th, the bittersweet loss 
of the showroom’s lease will enable owner Heidi Leigh, a Rivertowns resident, to focus her full attention on the flagship gallery in Soho, and the new branch of Animazing Gallery that is thriving within a castle atop one of the most beautiful villages in France.
Animazing has featured items such as rainbow machines, wooden toys for tots, unique jewelry (which Leigh refers to as “Art to wear”), lots of wacky toys for men (like a sexy pewter lady pole dancer that functions as a pen holder), and aerodynamically correct B-52 bombers & P-51 mustangs, constructed from Heineken cans by the hands of a retired Boeing engineer.
Over the years, Leigh and her husband and partner Nicholas Leone have owned and operated nine different galleries, including a franchise in
New Orleans, two at the South Street Seaport, and one in South Hampton. But Hastings was the first. Leigh came to the area newly single with a baby and a puppy, and opened the gallery in Hastings on Hudson only months later. Her child, who had a nursery downstairs, will be entering college in September.
“The integrity that a thing holds when it was created with love is extraordinary, and the creative spirit of this country is what makes it unique and great. The support that this shop has provided to American artists is something that I am proud of,” says Leigh “I believe that we all need joy and beauty like we need air.” More than a dozen local artists have been showcased at Animazing Gallery; one wall is covered with “Best of Westchester” plaques and “Top 100 Gallery of American Craft” awards from the American Craft Council. Leigh has mentored artists through the Westchester Arts Council, The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and the “Famous Artist’s Program in the Irvington and
Rye school systems. Animazing Gallery has been a supporter of many local fundraisers, and undoubtedly, a shop that has provided a great amount of charm to the village.
Animazing Gallery is located at 549 Warburton Avenue in Hastings on Hudson, as well as online at www.animazing.com and in the heart of New York City’s SoHo district at 461 Broome Street (between Greene and Mercer Streets). The gallery is also a rising profile in France, within the Chateau de Belcastel. Animazing Gallery features the finest collection of animation art from all major studios, including Disney and Warner Brothers. In addition to Chuck Jones, The Simpsons, and Sponge Bob, part of the permanent collection includes The Peanuts Paintings by Tom Everhart, The Art of Dr. Seuss and original illustrations by Charles Schulz.
