Christopher Spinelli
Medium: Painting Studio Location: 1931 Kimball Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234 - Studio# 1931 Kimba Phone: 9175758033 Email: christopher.spinelli@verizon.net Website:: http://brooklyndreamland.com/ Artist Bio: Christopher Spinelli is a life-long Brooklyn resident who has been creating art in Brooklyn for over 30 years. He studied art at the Brooklyn Museum and the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan where he received his BFA in Media Arts and Illustration. His journey through the world of art began at a young age when he first decorated his parent's bedroom set with colored chalk. Spinelli's work has been exhibited from Brooklyn to Berlin, and he is currently working on a project to bring art to refugee camps in Athens, Greece. His one-man show, "Sodom by the Sea" which opened at the Visual Arts Gallery in 1989 chronicled the decaying landscape of Coney Island during the 1980's and it became the backbone for his website www.brooklyndreamland.com. On his Brooklyn Dreamland website, Spinelli displays much of his visual reportage work from Coney Island created on site, but also gives a glimpse at his work in portraiture and his works in a variety of media including acrylic/oil paint, pastel, charcoal, photography and pen and ink. Spinelli's paintings have been featured in numerous publications including Business Week and Chief Executive. Currently his work is in various private collections. Spinelli has worked extensively in chronicling a New York and particularly Brooklyn that he feels is slipping quickly into the past. He has been the Visual Arts Instructor for the REACH Program that serves academically gifted yet economically disadvantaged students at Regis High School since 2011. He lives in Marine Park, Brooklyn with his wife Gena, and sons, Christopher and Alexander. SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2016 Brooklyn Public Library, Grand Army Plaza "The Wedding Album", Brooklyn, NY 1989 Visual Arts Gallery NY - "Sodom by the Sea", New York, NY PUBLIC ART 2018 Painted Piano in Refugee Camp, Athens Greece 2018 MINI Cooper, Mini Piano Art Project, Mobile artwork, around NYC 2018 Sing for Hope Piano Exhibit, New York, NY 2017 Sing for Hope Piano Exhibit, Brooklyn, NY GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2018 Local Project Artspace, "The Freak Show", Long Island City, NY 2018 The Coop, "Summer Exhibit" Brooklyn, NY 2018 LIC Open Arts, "Summer Exhibit", The Factory Gallery, Long Island City, NY 2018 The Coop, "Coney island Group Exhibit", Brooklyn NY 2018 Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Art Center, "Birds of a Feather", Dowell, MD 2018 Gallery 66, "Square Foot Biennial", San Fidel, NM 2017 Sing for Hope Piano Exhibit, Brooklyn, NY 2016 105th Connecticut Academy of Arts Exhibit, Mystic, CT 2016 Arsenal Gallery- "America- The History of African American Public Service", New York, NY 2016 NX2 Gallery , "Quadratfuss", Berlin, Germany 2016 Gallery Gaia ??? "Bang! BANG!", Brooklyn, NY 2016 Coney Island Museum??? "Sodom By the Sea Salon", Brooklyn, NY 2015 Arsenal Gallery -"The Migration", Brooklyn, NY 2015 National Arts Club??? "Gramercy Neighborhood Assoc Exhibit", New York, NY 2014 Arsenal Gallery ??? "The March", New York, NY 1989 Art Director's Club, "Portfolio 10", New York, NY 1988 Washington Gallery - "Small Works " , New York, NY 1988 Brooklyn Arts Council??? "Small Works", Brooklyn, NY 1988 Master Eagle Gallery??? "Sight of Sound", New York, NY TEACHING EXPERIENCE Regis High School ??? REACH Program, Visual Arts Instructor : 2011 ??? Present EDUCATION School of Visual Arts, BFA 1989 Contact Info: Christopher Spinelli Phone 917-575-8033 Email: christopher.spinelli@verizon.net Website: www.brooklyndreamland.com Mailing Address: 1931 Kimball Street, Brooklyn, NY 11234 Artist Statement: My journey through the world of art began when I first decorated my parents' bedroom set with colored chalk. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, I took a 20 year hiatus from painting. Since returning to the world of art as a teacher and painter I have been exhibiting my work both in the states and abroad. I am currently working on a painted piano that will be sent to a refugee camp in Athens Greece and my work has also graced a MINI Countryman that drove around NYC this summer bring pop-up concerts to all corners of the city. My work is inspired by the vibrant colors from my Brooklyn garden, religious iconography, stained glass and Renaissance paintings. My complete portfolio can be seen on my website: www.brooklyndreamland.com All images and text copyright Christopher Spinelli