When Diana Mille, Ph.D., director of Fairfield University's Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery , began to envision the 2011 Directors' Choice summer exhibition, "freedom and randomness" came to mind, as she selected talented and creative local artists who have yet to have the opportunity to become part of the established urban art scene. The unique exhibition, a community outreach initiative of Fairfield University, is scheduled for Sunday, June 19-Saturday, July 16. An opening reception will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on June 19. The Gallery is located in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts on the Fairfield campus.

"I began by selecting two artists who were literally right under my nose," Mille said. John J. Rosito and Duane Corey are both employees of Fairfield University as well as exhibitors who have presented their works in the Lukacs Gallery on campus. Anthony Santomauro, fellow member of the Salmagundi Art Club in New York City, was on Mille's radar for quite some time and she "wanted others to have the opportunity to observe how he waves his magic wand in creating sensitive portraits and animal studies." Reaching out to Branford and Derby, Mille said she has had "the wonderful opportunity, on many occasions, to see the diverse and inspiring works of Stefan and Robert Buda."

John Rosito, of Fairfield, creates three dimensional landscape paintings, and while he can be influenced by almost anything, most recently his inspiration came from visiting the picturesque towns and countryside in Italy. For one of his latest works, Rosito, upon viewing works by Michelangelo, was inspired to re-create part of his sculptures in 3D form using modern building materials.

Duane Corey, of Bridgeport, is an artist who "never wants to completely take the fun out of his work," and he describes his painting style as "mixing visual lucidity with hard edges, and geometrically correct patterns with bold exaggerated ones." A native of North Carolina, Corey developed a love for the visual arts while in high school in Bridgeport. Some of his earliest inspirations were Ernie Barnes who brought paintings to life using exaggerated features, and Norman Rockwell for his sense of humor and attention to detail. Corey's themes range from multicultural subjects, early American rural landscapes and sports.

Physician and artist, Anthony Santomauro, M.D. is a native of New York City and is a resident of Fairfield. A practicing artist for over 40 years, Santomauro is a realistic artist whose detailed pastels, highly technical drawings and strong yet sensitive paintings merge feeling with visual reality. "Whether it is beauty, rage, melancholy, malevolence or goodness, they are emerged into the world, power and emotion of each of my creations," he said. It has been said of his portraits of humans and animals, "you can almost form a relationship and peer into their eyes." Santomauro's works are in many private collections in the United States, Canada and the Virgin Islands. He was awarded the Mortimer H. Freehof Award for his pastel "Japanese Girl" in the Salmagundi 126th Annual Members' Exhibition in 2009, and an award for his pastel "Moon Fall" in the 2010 Salmagundi Black and White Exhibit.

Stefan Buda, of Derby, has had a long career as a graphic artist - 30 years - but now he is exploring other areas of artistic expression including sculpture, painting, printmaking, and he admits the journey is never over. Referencing his printmaking experience, while it is familiar through his graphic design background, Buda said, "The freedom to experiment without the rigid design imposed by commercial purpose is both exciting and challenging."  Working with a combination of Chine Colle and dripping paint led to his first abstraction titled Zen Dream #1 . "What followed both surprised and challenged me: a series that seems to flow without end or limits as in a stream of consciousness." His recent work as a sculptor has taken a more traditional aspect, as he is learning classical techniques as a foundation for exploring. "Exploration always leads to growth and an extension of the journey," said Buda.

Robert Buda, of Branford, has spent his entire life on the Atlantic Coast and takes his inspiration for his paintings from the ocean. While his individual works do not represent any particular location, Buda said his goal was to "capture the emotion generated by the ocean's tranquility, peacefulness and awesome power." Buda studied art through "The Famous Schools during the 1960s where he became fascinated with the basics of drawing and design. He has continued his study of art independently for most of his life through his travels, research, and gallery and museum visits. Buda has exhibited in numerous summer arts festivals and venues. He has been selected via juried panels, and has shown at the New England Landscape Invitational Exhibition at Old Lyme, and at The New Canaan Society for the Arts.

Artwork: Art by John J. Rosito; Duane Corey; Anthony Santomauro; Stefan Buda and Robert Buda, respectively.

Posted On: 06-08-2011 11:06 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 320