Portraits of My People
April 2 - April 26
Opening Reception on Arts Night Out
Titled "Portraits of My People," Mark Guglielmo's current work examines the costs that Italian immigrants and their descendants have faced to attain the benefits of whiteness in America. Through mixed media collage portraits inspired by archival photographs, he highlights the evolving identities of Southern Italians, who have transitioned from being viewed as demonized laborers to defenders of whiteness. Guglielmo employs collage and unmixed color to critique race within a fine art scene where these issues remain largely unaddressed. This work is particularly relevant in light of recent bans on critical race theory, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and more.
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Mark Guglielmo (he/him, b. 1970, New York City) is a multidisciplinary artist whose paintings incorporate a diverse range of materials such as cut-up paper, cardboard, oil, acrylic, fabric, gold leaf, and corrugated steel. Guglielmo is best known for his layered figurative works that intertwine current events, social history, and the human psyche, to critically explore themes of race, class, migration, and power. Collage is central to his practice and a bridge between his art and music. For years, he employed similar techniques producing hip-hop, sampling, truncating, and reconfiguring existing materials into new compositions. Through his unique blend of media and technique, Guglielmo addresses some of the most pressing issues of out time, sparking healthy dialogue and contributing to contemporary discourse.
Born and raised in New York, Guglielmo roots his work in the exploration of the self and the complexities of the human experience. His fragmented portraits of everyday people based on archival and photographic reference material peel back the layers of social, cultural, and personal history to reveal the raw reality of life. Guglielmo’s approach invites viewers into the inner worlds of his subjects to consider the nuances of identity, place, family, culture, and belonging. Significant projects in his oeuvre include “Portraits of My People” (2021-2025), a collection of portraits honoring his Italian ancestors that reveals the fraught process of race-making in America, merging family lineage with broader cultural and social questions. Additionally, his series of photo-collage portraits, interviews, and field recordings examining contemporary Cuban identity, entitled “Cubaneo” (2015-2017) and created on 3 trips to the island, expanded his enquiries at the intersection of the personal and collective narrative, heritage, international relations, and artistic diplomacy.
Guglielmo’s work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including at The Loveland Museum in Colorado; Villa Victoria Center for the Arts in Boston; Central Connecticut State University in New Britain; Vermont Center for Photography in Brattleboro; The New York State Museum in Albany; and von Auersperg Gallery in Deerfield, Massachusetts. His pieces are held in both public and private collections, among them Emory Healthcare in Atlanta; The Calandra Institute in New York; and the City of Loveland, Colorado. Guglielmo has been awarded multiple honors and prizes, including from The Puffin Foundation; Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts; Deerfield Academy TEDx Talk; Community Mural Institute Artist Fellowship at Fresh Paint Springfield; and The Williston Northampton School Artist-in-Residence. He graduated from Haverford College with a BA in History, spending a year at Université de Paul Valéry in Montpellier, France. A former rapper and music producer, Guglielmo aka Vesuveo rapped with Eminem on the Top 10 hit “Green and Gold.” He released 8 albums, 4 with his group The Anonymous, and shared the stage with KRS-One, Biz Markie, and Black Eyed Peas while his music forms the soundtrack to Pimp My Ride, Jersey Shore, Cribs, and Beavis and Butt-Head. He currently serves as a Community Advisor for the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts’ ValleyCreates Program, in partnership with MASS MoCA’s Assets for Artists. He lives and works in western Massachusetts.
Mass Appeal 3-D art exhibit exploring Italian-American life at the Barn Door Gallery in Northampton
WHMP Radio Talk the Talk with Bill Newman and Bus Eisenberg
Italians and Whiteness in the U.S.: A Community Conversation
Sat April 19th, 4-5 pm
Join artist Mark Guglielmo, Jennifer Guglielmo (Professor of History, Smith College), and Heshima Moja (Composer/Musician/Sonic Architect) in the Barn Door Gallery for a Community Conversation. More info here!