Man Filled with Music (Green-Yellow-Black) print 24 x 18 (1) at the Muscatine Art Center -- through February 18.
Through Sunday, February 18
Muscatine Art Center, 1314 Mulberry Avenue, Muscatine IA
A celebration of longtime Muscatine resident and personal assistant and printer for Mauricio Lasansky, who was once referred to by Time magazine as “the nation’s most influential printmaker," Jon Fasanelli-Cawelti: The Man Filled with Music will be on display at the Muscatine Art Center through February 18, demonstrating how the artist used technology from the 1400s to create works that still resonate with viewers today.
Fasanelli-Cawelti's main artform of intaglio printing rooted him in the past while allowing him to innovate ways to express emotions connected to the people, places, and objects, especially musical instruments, which were part of his daily routines, and The Man Filled with Music is the first major exhibition of his work since the artist's passing in 2021. Originally a student of history, Fasanelli-Cawelti studied at Ripon College and the Art Institute of Chicago before enrolling at the University of Iowa, where he learned from Mauricio Lasansky, Virginia Myers, and Keith Achepohl, receiving his BFA in 1980, his MA in 1983, and his MFA in 1985. From 1985 to 1998, he was the personal assistant and printer for Lasansky, and the former Muscatine citizen was also an instructor at Muscatine Community College, a member of a small circle of city residents who gathered to create and discuss art, and a musician performing with the Muscatine Symphony Orchestra and the Mad Creek Mudcats, among other ensembles.
Fasanelli-Cawelti made an enduring impression on many in the Muscatine area, and over the years, exhibitions at the Muscatine Art Center have helped introduce the artist’s work to thousands of visitors. In 2013, a retrospective featured Fasanelli-Cawelti’s first several decades of work, and the 2019 exhibition Atlas showcased prints and large-scale drawings created over a five-year period while complications from ALS prompted him to transition from printmaking to working with colored pencils, markers, crayons, and paints while using line and positive and negative space as a printmaker.
“Jon’s breadth of knowledge on so many subjects led to fascinating conversations,” explains Melanie Alexander, director of the Muscatine Art Center. “He was so well versed on art, art history, music, and literature and was truly a Renaissance man. The exhibition opening on September 21 demonstrates Jon’s passion for music – as a listener, a performer, and a student immersed in playing as well as the history of music and great musicians.”
Mauricio Lasansky: Portrait from the Permanent Collection will be on display through January 28, and regular gallery hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Donations are appreciated, and more information is available by calling (563)263-8282 and visiting MuscatineArtCenter.org.
