The Patchogue Arts Council and Museum of Contemporary Art L.I. are bringing a new exhibition to the Patchogue-Medford Library this month, curated entirely by this summer's PAC MoCA L.I. interns.

Auxiliary Constructions opens September 5 and runs through October 29 in the library's Claire Davidson Siegel Gallery, located on the lower level at 54 E. Main St. A public reception is set for October 3, from 4 to 5 p.m.

The show was curated by 2026 summer interns Paige Kelly, Alyssa Kolakowski and Claire Blakeley, who selected works from eight artists: Carole Amodeo, Jennifer DeMory, Nicholas DePaolo, Francesca Finno, Tre Pyne, Thomas Sarc, Cheryl Steinhauer and Robert Stenzel.

According to PAC, the group exhibition explores escapism as a way of navigating the pressures of everyday life. Through animals, imagined worlds, abstraction and other departures from the familiar, the pieces invite viewers into spaces shaped by fantasy, imagination and possibility. Each artist builds an alternative way of seeing, offering a moment where reality can be reconsidered, expanded or set aside for a while.

Organizers say the exhibition treats the imaginary not just as an escape from daily life, but as a way of bringing back a sense of wonder and magic.

The exhibition also doubles as hands-on training for PAC's summer interns, giving Kelly, Kolakowski and Blakeley real curatorial experience, from selecting artists and sequencing the show to writing wall text and planning the reception. PAC has run its internship program alongside MoCA L.I. as a way to bring young, emerging voices into the gallery's programming each year.

The show is a satellite exhibition, meaning it's presented off-site from PAC's main gallery on Terry Street, a format the organization has used before to bring art into other community spaces around Patchogue, including the library. It's a partnership that puts contemporary art in front of library patrons who might not otherwise walk into a gallery.

Admission is free, and the gallery keeps regular library hours through the run of the show.

The Patchogue Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports artists and public art projects across Long Island, with a mission focused on community engagement and helping revitalize and sustain the local arts scene.

Its exhibition space, the Museum of Contemporary Art L.I. (MoCA L.I.), works to make contemporary art accessible to everyone while supporting artists at every stage of their careers, from early-career to established.

For more information on Auxiliary Constructions or the Patchogue Arts Council's other programming, visit patchoguearts.org.