Artist Spotlight

Art with Spirit

Artist merges commercial and personal work

More than a typical retrospective, Joseph Anastasi’s Concourse Gallery exhibition will show a lesser-known side of the artist. Though Anastasi has spent years in commercial art, garnering 84 Gold Addies and two Best of Shows awards from the Columbus Advertising Federation, In Retrospect will show the full extent of his artistic interests.

Anastasi has been in the arts scene for nearly his entire life. Beyond those advertising awards, he has been recognized by organizations such as the Art

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Directors Club of New York and Print Magazine. His work has been featured at the Columbus Museum of Art, McConnell Arts Center and throughout Columbus.

“What I’ve tried to do in all of my art is capture the spirit of the people or places or things that I’m painting,” Anastasi says. “It’s difficult to do but that’s what’s important to me.”

A series of work Anastasi completed to bring attention to the needs of people facing homelessnes best showcases this personal side of his work.

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After retiring, Anastasi took an interest in homeless and marginally housed people whom he worked with at the Open Shelter in Columbus, which provides advocacy and services to those populations.

“One night at an Open Shelter dinner,” he says, “I stood up in front of about 150 people and said, ‘I’m going to be in the courtyard once you get done eating tonight. I will be taking pictures and doing sketches.’”

These paintings and sketches culminated in Art & Soul: An Intimate Portrait, an exhibition that raised almost $40,000 for charity. Those pieces will feature at In Retrospect along with many others works.

The exhibition showcases work from Anastasi’s entire life, some pieces date back to when he was only 8 years old. In Retrospect is particularly noteworthy because it brings together his commercial and artistic work.

Anastasi’s commercial career focused disproportionately on mediums that were profitable but not necessarily the most enjoyable for him. Watercolors and drawings, for example, typically rank below oil and acrylics in value. The frames for pieces on paper rather than on canvas can be costly, which in turn shrinks the profit margin.

This show goes beyond that segment of his work. The 70-some pieces include pencil drawings and watercolor, drybrush and oil paintings.

“You’ll see painting and drawings through the years,” he says. “It’s a retrospective show that’s going to show a lot of diverse stuff. People are going to see a side of me that nobody’s ever seen before. Most of these paintings have never been seen.” Outside of his art, Anastasi is involved with charity work at St. Lawrence Haven, sits on the board of the

Open Shelter and is the president of the Upper Arlington Senior Advisory

Council. A long-time resident, Anastasi raised his four kids in Upper

Arlington. “There’s a heck of an art community here,” he says. “With

CCAD, with Ohio State and so forth, there are a lot of good artists in this area, a lot of art galleries.”

Anastasi also kayaks, skis and enjoys playing sports.

“I’m involved in so many different things,” he says. “Since I’ve retired, I’m busier now than I’ve ever been.”

In Retrospect is at the Concourse Gallery Nov. 3-Dec. 31.

Megan Roth is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.

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