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Wisconsin Masters: Santos Zingale

February 4 - March 25, 2001

 

Charles Allis Art Museum presents, Wisconsin Masters: Santos Zingale, the first of an annual posthumous retrospective series of Wisconsin master artists featuring UW Professor Emeritus Santos Zingale (1908-1999). Zingale's 70-year contribution to aesthetic development and cultural awareness in the state places him among the elite of Wisconsin master artists. Born in Milwaukee to Sicilian émigré parents, he embraced his Italian heritage in both art and life. The exhibition is guest curated by Richard Lazzaro, Emeritus Professor of Art at UW-Madison and co-owner Lazzaro Signature Gallery of Fine Art in Stoughton, Wisconsin. Wisconsin Masters: Santos Zingale celebrates the citywide 4th annual International Arts Festival. (left: Metamorphosis: Man to Nature No. 3, 1964, oil on masonite, 30 x 35 inches; right: Montezuma's Castle, 1975, oil on canvas)

Santos Zingale's art is a legacy of the Wisconsin urban, rural and social landscapes throughout the 20th century. "His art depicted his feeling for the dispossessed, the soul of man and the urban struggle for survival in the first half of the twentieth century; his later works were poetic visions of his daily life in the studio of colorful observations/fantasies of the landscape," said Richard Lazarro, guest curator. In the 1930's his paintings became political statements, expressing social and political themes, from conditions of African-American life to emigrants fleeing air raids of the Spanish Civil War. (left: Mythological Personages: The Mercati di Traino, 1974, oil on canvas)

Zingale's works express thought and vision through representations of figure, city and landscape. "He also had a concern about urban destruction of the old neighborhoods of Milwaukee and documented the people, streets, and buildings of his family neighborhood before World War II in starkly contrasting, strongly felt, emotive social images," said Lazarro. Zingale participated in the WPA Federal Arts Project during the depression by painting social murals in the Sturgeon Bay post office and Henry Mitchell High School Library, Racine. He proceeded to part with painting political statements and embraced daily life and scenery from his travels, from architecture and Roman ruins to the Southwest desert and studio life. (left: Pot Pourri, 1962, oil on canvas)

Zingale attended Lincoln High School, Milwaukee State Teachers' College (UW-Milwaukee) and also spent time in New York art scene. In 1943, he received his Masters in Education from UW-Madison where he was also a graduate assistant to American Regionalist painter John Steuart Curry. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944 where he produced hundreds of drawings of Navy life, and was on the UW-Madison Department of Art faculty from 1946 to1978, becoming Professor Emeritus upon retirement. Zingale's paintings, drawings and prints are in private and museum collections throughout the United States. (left: Taromina No. 2, 1964, oil on masonite)

On Sunday, February 18, 2001, 2-4 p.m., the public is invited to an Afternoon Tea with Joan Zingale, an informal tea and conversation with Mrs. Santos Zingale about her late husband's life and work. A tour of the exhibition Wisconsin Masters: Santos Zingale will follow. Then, guest curator Richard Lazzaro will present the slide lecture The Legacy of Santos Zingale on Wednesday, March 7 at 6:30 p.m. There will also be a reception and an opportunity to view the exhibition 5:30-8:30 p.m. Admission for the afternoon tea and slide lecture is $5 Adults, $3 Seniors and Students with Valid ID, and Members Free. (left: The Witches Brew, Bryce Canyon, 1975, oil on canvas, 30 x 36 inches)

rev. 3/20/01

Charles Allis Art Museum is a 1911 Tudor-style mansion which was gifted to Milwaukee by Charles Allis, first president of Allis-Chalmers, and his wife Sarah, to "delight, inspire and educate." The mansion is intact with original furnishings and an art collection spanning 2,000 years. Located at 1801 North Prospect Avenue at East Royall Place, it is part of the Milwaukee County War Memorial Complex. Open hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Docent-guided tours are offered every Sunday between 2 and 4 p.m.; group tours are available upon request. Museum Admission is $3 Adults, $2 Seniors & Students with Valid ID, Children under 13 and Members Free. (left and right: photos of galleries of Charles Allis Art Museum; left photo is of parlor and right photo is of library. Library contains antique American furniture and landscapes by leading 19th century American artists.) (information as of 2/01)

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