Tony Sansalone

A recent BFA graduate Art Student at Bowling Green State University and current Master's Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Master's in Arts Administration Program

Tony Sansalone is an Ohio-based artist whose charcoal drawings explore the relationships between his family and friends. Growing up in an Italian household, Tony learned the value of family as the most cherished relationship, and this bond heavily influences his artwork. Through his art, he strives to capture the essence of his loved ones in a body of work that he calls autobiographical.

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Tony's art-making process is therapeutic, and he uses drawing as a way to reflect on his relationship with each subject. He spends countless hours looking, drawing, and contemplating the nuances of each person's character, and the end result is an intimate portrayal that reveals his subjects' true selves.

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Tony's artistic evolution has allowed him to explore different approaches to drawing, with one of his primary focuses being scale. He is best known for his large-scale 8-foot-tall figure drawings of his family, which earned him the Best of Show award at the Mansfield Art Center in 2021. His work has been exhibited in galleries across Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington, Indiana, and Toronto, and has garnered praise for its ability to capture the unique spirit of his subjects.

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Tony also worked as an arts administrator through the Mansfield Art Center in Mansfield, Ohio, where he served as the  Outreach, Events, and Grants Coordinator. One of his main passions in this role was providing Outreach Art Exploration Camps to youth enrolled in the S.A.F.E Program (Student Achievement Through Family Engagement). Additionally, he started the Seniors Sunday Social Art Club, which provides senior citizens battling social isolation with a space to engage with other seniors while creating art free of charge.

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Tony holds a BFA in Studio Art, focused in drawing and painting, from Bowling Green State University. He is currently a Master's Candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where is he is receiving an MA in Arts Business and Administration. Additionally, through his program Tony is taking part in a fellowship opportunity where he serves as the Chazen Museum of Art Café Programming Coordinator through the Chazen Museum of Art.