Richard Giglio: A Life in Art on Exhibit

Works by artist Richard Giglio, whose career combined commercial and fine art, is on exhibit at the Rotunda Gallery in New Rochelle’s City Hall from September 12th through November 9th. Richard Giglio – A Life in Art spans the artist’s lifetime beginning with his early works to his later works up until his passing at the age of 81 in September, 2015. The New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA), which manages the Rotunda Gallery, opened the exhibit with a reception on Tuesday, September 12th. The Rotunda Gallery is located on the first floor of New Rochelle’s City Hall at 515 North Avenue. Gallery hours are weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm.

Richard Giglio was raised in New Rochelle and graduated from Pratt Institute in New York City. Richard’s journey began as a commercial artist; with the guidance of the legendary display director Gene Moore, Richard worked for Tiffany & Co., Bonwit Teller and Bloomingdale’s, creating background art for window displays. He continued in the field, later covering the couture collections in Paris, London and Milan and providing fashion illustrations to publications including Glamour, Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Harpers-Queen and The New York Times. He later worked for Henri Bendel, Donghia and Seventh on Sixth.

By combining commercial art with fine art, Giglio’s style emerged. He attributed three major influences -- Henri Matisse, Billie Holiday and Maria Callas -- in his life and art, and would at times work with the soundtrack of his muses, Holiday and Callas, playing in the background.

Richard Giglio’s work includes impressionism, masks, totems, collage and letters. He also created large scale installations for public spaces such as the Brea Mall in Los Angeles, Lenox Square in Atlanta, and the Russian Tea Room in New York City.

Giglio’s art was inspired by places he lived and loved, including New York City for its graffiti, Key West for the beautiful color palette and natural light, and Brazil for its sensuality. His work was also influenced by the starkness of film noire, classic black-and-white crime dramas from the 1940s and 1950s. Giglio’s art has been exhibited at galleries in New York City, Key West, Boca Raton, Miami, Sag Harbor and Puerto Rico. Giglio also collaborated with famed photographer Bruce Weber, creating artwork and calligraphy for his publication O Rio.

The New Rochelle Council on the Arts (NRCA) was created by the New Rochelle City Council in 1975 to stimulate and encourage the study and presentation of the performing and fine arts. For four decades NRCA has worked to fulfill that mission by sponsoring art exhibitions, theatrical productions, dance recitals, film screenings, lectures, and concert series. In addition, NRCA has sponsored public art -- like the popular Fleur-de-Lis sculptures downtown -- and created ArtsFest, while helping to build relationships between the arts, the business community and city government. The NRCA website www.newrochellearts.org is the “go-to” place for information about the arts. Membership in NRCA is open to artists and non-artists alike, with members receiving invitations to networking events and studio tours. For more information visit NRCA on the web at www.newrochellearts.org. NRCA’s programs are made possible, in part, by ArtsWestchester with funds from Westchester County Government, the City of New Rochelle, and the support and participation of NRCA’s membership.