Tony Sansalone
A recent BFA graduate Art Student at Bowling Green State University and upcoming 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.
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.
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.
Currently, Tony works as the Outreach, Events, and Grants Coordinator at the Mansfield Art Center in Mansfield, Ohio. One of his main passions in this role has been providing Outreach Art Exploration Camps to youth enrolled in the S.A.F.E Homeless 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.
Tony holds a BFA in Studio Art, focused in drawing and painting, from Bowling Green State University. He is also set to move to Madison, Wisconsin during the summer of 2023, where he has accepted an offer through the University of Wisconsin-Madison Masters in Arts Administration and Business program.