Sensory Saturday at The Frank on April 12th from 9-11am

Renowned Autistic Artist Vito Bonanno's Artwork in the Corporate Collections of AMAZON and Google

 

Vito Bonanno

Vito Bonanno is an internationally collected artist who lives and works on the CT shoreline. He has exhibited in solo exhibitions at Spectrum Miami during Art Basel in Miami, FL, Umbrella Arts Gallery, NYC and Akus Gallery, Willimantic, CT. His numerous group exhibitions include a sold out exhibition at Metro Curates, NYC in 2014, Uarts & CT Places, Hartford, CT, New England ADA, Boston, Ma, The Outsider Art Fair, NY and Intuit Outsider Art Fair, Chicago.

'God Goes to a Jets Game', from Bonanno's Monoprints & Mixed Media series

His outsider creative style results in a mix of hyper-focused autism inspired aesthetic blending street art, pop culture and dreams from his unfiltered world to the canvas. His inspiration is to tap into the daily emotional and social challenges of living with autism, which fuels this hybrid dream-state aesthetic, where conceptual and abstract expressionism styles collide to form enchanting and powerful results. Image and concept driven and imbedded in his personal philosophy, his art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts, fears and dreams. His unique view of the world provides a seemingly endless well of inspiration that fills his head with images and concepts until they spill over onto the canvas bursting on the scene in vibrant colors and hard to ignore imagery that can harbor obvious, but often secret messages.

'King Kong', Obsessions & Meditations series - made with aerosol, acrylic, craypas, paint marker, archival glitter on canvas, 53.5 “ x 63.5” framed. This art piece was acquired by Amazon, they purchased 6 of Bonanno's original pieces for one of their corporate buildings in Seattle.

In 2009, Bonanno won an Award of Excellence in a juried competition for young people with disabilities, produced by VSA Arts and sponsored by Volkswagen in 2009. He was named one of 15 emerging young artists with disabilities and was honored during the artist reception in Washington, DC. His winning pieces, “Ghost Town on Davenport Avenue” was exhibited at the S. Dillon Ripley Center of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and then was part of a traveling exhibition that went on a two year nationwide tour of university and independent galleries. Additionally, a second winning piece titled “Southhaven People”, was on exhibit at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. before also partaking in the nationwide traveling exhibition that ran through September 2011.

Due to a lack of accessible art education programs for college age adults with autism and other similar neuro-diversities, Bonanno began private art classes at Creative Arts Workspace in New Haven in 2006 and has continued his formal training via private instruction from a variety of formally trained artists.

In January 2012, Bonanno unveiled his first SOLO EXHIBITION, “Unfiltered V: Vito Bonanno Riding with the Train Girls”, at Akus Gallery at Eastern CT State University which included works on paper, canvas, video pieces, a student-artist interactive mural project and installations. Akus Gallery Director, Elizabeth Peterson stated, “The characters, objects and ideas that inhabit Vito Bonanno’s work act and interact in striking ways. Caught within the grids and map-like structures he imagines, they are often in a struggle between multiple worlds. He has found a way to tap in the intensity of focus and insight afforded him through autism to unleash a formidable creative power and vision.”

'Girl Crush' (2014), aerosol, acrylic, craypas, paint pen, marker on canvas, 29.5" H x 29.5" W framed

May 24, 2014 was the Opening Reception of Bonanno’s Solo Exhibition, Truck’n With Vito! , at Umbrella Arts Gallery, NYC. Here Bonanno presented his Truck’n with Vito! series of 50 intimate pieces on canvas. Of special note is that the reception was the kickoff party for a traveling art education and awareness campaign of the same name, Truck’n With Vito!, Bonanno and his team transformed a typical van into a pop up art gallery that traveled through CT earlier in the year. From May through July the roaming art gallery came to New York and made stops at various locations in the city, including Bushwick Open Studios, sharing Bonanno’s art and spreading the word for the need for increased accessible higher education in the arts for adults with autism.

'Red' (2017), spray paint, acrylic paint, paint marker, and artist marker on canvas, 36″H x 24″W x 1.5″D

For many years, Bonanno was represented in CT and NY by veteran NYC Art Dealer and co-owner of New York City based Umbrella Arts Gallery, Margaret Bodell. Bodell helped define and expand the outsider movement during the 90’s in her East Village gallery by including artists with autism alongside contemporary artists, bringing to light the unique visual arts gift that only the autistic can tap into such as Michael Madore, Jessica Park and Ricky Hagedorn. Bodell encouraged Bonanno to collaborate with “mainstream” artist’s one-on-one-in order to help him round out his artistic voice and philosophy, as well as to encourage him to continue to explore additional artistic mediums. These collaborations have resulted in a discovery of the wide range of artistic styles that Bonanno is capable of and have furthered his independent and unedited artistic voice. Bodell believes Bonanno has a rare form of extreme talent.

Currently Vito is promoted and represented by Kat Wagner of Miami Art Scene in Florida, and ArtLifting.com.

At present Vito continues to work independently and with various artist facilitators, expanding his knowledge of materials and techniques and further developing his creative vision from his studio located in Old Saybrook, CT.

Bonanno was diagnosed with PDD/Autism just before his 4th birthday. Because he was language delayed, his parents and teachers developed strategies that tapped into his high visual acuity, utilizing storyboard styles to relay academic and social information. He was also encouraged to draw in storyboard format to express his feelings. The storyboard grid remains prominent in his work and studio preparation today and is a poignant reminder of a boy who was trapped in his own mind. Through the tireless work of professionals and strong family support, he has been able to develop into a high functioning young man who has learned to transform his internal existence into a powerful artistic expression.

 

Follow Vito!     

Twitter: @vitobonannoart 

Facebook: artistvitobonanno  

Instagram:  vitobonannoart

Internationally Collected Artist Vito Bonanno Shares Through His Art That Autism Is A Creative & Magical Gift

 

'Orange Zest', by internationally collected visual artist Vito Bonanno. His art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts and dreams, coupled around objects or topics that “get stuck in his head”, including traffic lights, grids, ceiling fans, graffiti and pop culture. Corporate clients include Google, Amazon, and The Hartford. This print along with others of Bonanno's are available through ArtLifting, their mission is to empower individuals living with disabilities through the celebration and sale of their artwork. Prints are produced on demand on either mounted wrapped canvas or giclee fine art paper in a variety of sizes here in the United States. https://www.artlifting.com/products/orange-zest-vito-bonanno

Mixed Media Artist Vito Bonanno Taps Into The Daily Emotional Social Challenges Of Living & Working With Autism

'King Kong', by internationally collected artist Vito Bonanno, from his Obsessions & Meditations series - made with aerosol, acrylic, craypas, paint marker, archival glitter on canvas, 53.5 “ x 63.5” framed. This art piece was acquired by Amazon. They made a purchase of 6 of Bonanno's original pieces for one of their corporate buildings in Seattle.

The New England-based artists’ work is image and concept driven and imbedded in his personal philosophy. Bonanno's art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts and dreams, coupled around objects or topics that "get stuck in his head".

Internationally recognized artist Vito Bonanno taps into the daily emotional and social challenges of living with autism, placing his innermost feelings onto canvas. The New England-based artists’ work is image and concept driven and embedded in his personal philosophy. His art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts, and dreams, coupled around objects or topics that “get stuck in his head”, including traffic lights, grids, ceiling fans, graffiti and pop culture.

Vito Bonanno has exhibited in solo exhibitions during Art Basel Week in Miami, Florida, Umbrella Arts Gallery, NYC, and Akus Gallery, at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) in Willimantic, CT. His numerous group exhibitions include a sold-out exhibition at Metro Curates, NYC in 2014, Uarts & CT Places in Hartford, CT; New England ADA in Boston, Mass; The Outsider Art Fair in New York and Intuit Outsider Art Fair in Chicago.

In 2009, Bonanno won an Award of Excellence in a juried competition for young people with disabilities, produced by VSA Arts and sponsored by Volkswagen in 2009. He was named one of 15 emerging young artists with disabilities and was honored during the artist reception in Washington, D.C. His winning pieces, ‘Ghost Town on Davenport Avenue’ was exhibited at the S. Dillon Ripley Center of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and then was part of a traveling exhibition that went on a two-year nationwide tour of the university and independent galleries. Additionally, a second winning piece titled ‘Southhaven People’ was on exhibit at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. before also partaking in the nationwide traveling exhibition that ran through September 2011.

'Journal', in the corporate collection of Google, in one of their offices in Leesburg, VA.

Due to a lack of accessible art education programs for college-age adults with autism and other similar neuro-diversities, Bonanno began private art classes at Creative Arts Workspace in New Haven in 2006 and has continued his formal training via private instruction from a variety of formally trained artists.

In January 2012, Bonanno unveiled his first Solo Exhibition, Unfiltered V: Vito Bonanno Riding with the Train Girls, at Akus Gallery at Eastern CT State University which included works on paper, canvas, video pieces, a student-artist interactive mural project, and installations. Akus Gallery Director, Elizabeth Peterson stated, “The characters, objects, and ideas that inhabit Vito Bonanno’s work act and interact in striking ways. Caught within the grids and map-like structures he imagines, they are often in a struggle between multiple worlds. He has found a way to tap in the intensity of focus and insight afforded him through autism to unleash a formidable creative power and vision.”

Bonanno launched a Solo Exhibition, 'Truck’n With Vito!', at Umbrella Arts Gallery, NYC in May 2014. Bonanno and his team transformed a typical van into a popup art gallery that traveled through CT earlier in 2014. From May through July the roaming art gallery came to New York and made stops at various locations in the city, including Bushwick Open Studios, sharing Bonanno’s art and spreading the word for the need for increased accessible higher education in the arts for adults with autism.

'Vito's Mind', (2016) part of the Controversial series.

Current and ongoing, Vito continues to work with various artist facilitators in his studio in Old Saybrook, CT expanding his knowledge of materials and techniques and further developing his creative vision. His unique view of the world provides a seemingly endless well of inspiration that fills his head with images and concepts until they spill over onto the canvas bursting on the scene in vibrant colors and hard to ignore imagery that can harbor obvious, but often secret messages.

Vito was chosen to participate in the prestigious global art competition Art Olympia in Tokyo, Japan 2015. His painting 'Skatepark Krusty' from Obsessions & Meditations was a First Round Winner. Bonanno was also chosen to feature his work in Art for Autism at Pan American Art Projects Gallery in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, Florida in July 2015. He has been featured and spotlighted on Saatchi Art homepage twice in a row since July 2015, hand-picked by Saatchi Chief Curator Rebecca Wilson. In 2015 Bonanno was one of 16 artists in the United States selected for a prestigious exhibition of previous awardees from the VSA Emerging Artists Program in the Kennedy Center’s Hall of Nations with sponsorship from Volkswagen Group of America. This exhibition was showcased as part of the celebrations for the 25th Anniversary of the ADA and 40th Anniversary of VSA, and included the work of select artists who represented the past 13 years of the VSA Emerging Young Artist Program; Curated by Stephanie Moore, ‘Daffy Goes to Waterbury with a Ninja Turtle’ and ‘SECR Toilet’ were chosen to be part of the exhibition.

‘Daffy Goes to Waterbury with a Ninja Turtle’, sold to a private collector, from Bonanno's Obsession & Meditation Series (2014) and was exhibited at Spectrum Art Fair during Art Basel Miami Beach, solo exhibition 2014. Made with aerosol, acrylic, paint pen, craypas, and archival glitter on canvas; 41.5″H x 41.5″W framed.

In 2016 and 2017 Bonanno shifted gears and began creating a prolific collection of works that propelled him into a variety of gallery shows, US exhibitions and projects including Art Expo New York; Love Art Gallery, CT; Lotta Studio in New Haven, CT; Art Access Studio in Ohio; Lesley University group exhibition in March 2016 titled '3+ Artists: Celebrating Autism', curated and organized by Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Assistant Professor of Graduate Special Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bonanno was invited to participate in a group mural project in New Haven, Connecticut at Yale University in June 2018 as part of a public art initiative. Vito is also an artist with ArtLifting since early 2018, which is a non-for-profit art organization that empowers artists living with disabilities through the celebration and sale of their artwork. ArtLifting is about creating opportunity, empowerment, and validation.

Bonanno was diagnosed with PDD/Autism just before his 4th birthday. Because he was language delayed, his parents and teachers developed strategies that tapped into his high visual acuity, utilizing storyboard styles to relay academic and social information. He was also encouraged to draw in storyboard format to express his feelings. The storyboard grid remains prominent in his work and studio preparation today and is a poignant reminder of a boy who was trapped in his own mind.

The New England-based artists work is image and concept driven and imbedded in his personal philosophy. His art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts, and dreams, coupled around objects or topics that “get stuck in his head”, including traffic lights, grids, ceiling fans, graffiti and pop culture. For more information about this artist, for inquiries or to commission a piece contact vito@vitobonanno.com / visit www.vitobonanno.com

Artist Vito Bonanno Taps Into The Daily Emotional Social Challenges Of Living & Working With Autism

 

'King Kong', by internationally collected artist Vito Bonanno, from his Obsessions & Meditations series - made with aerosol, acrylic, craypas, paint marker, archival glitter on canvas, 53.5 “ x 63.5” framed. This art piece was acquired by Amazon. They made a purchase of 6 of Bonanno's original pieces for one of their corporate buildings in Seattle.

The New England-based artists’ work is image and concept driven and imbedded in his personal philosophy. Bonanno's art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts and dreams, coupled around objects or topics that "get stuck in his head".

Internationally recognized artist Vito Bonanno taps into the daily emotional and social challenges of living with autism, placing his innermost feelings onto canvas. The New England-based artists’ work is image and concept driven and embedded in his personal philosophy. His art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts, and dreams, coupled around objects or topics that “get stuck in his head”, including traffic lights, grids, ceiling fans, graffiti and pop culture.

Vito Bonanno has exhibited in solo exhibitions during Art Basel Week in Miami, Florida, Umbrella Arts Gallery, NYC, and Akus Gallery, at Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) in Willimantic, CT. His numerous group exhibitions include a sold-out exhibition at Metro Curates, NYC in 2014, Uarts & CT Places in Hartford, CT; New England ADA in Boston, Mass; The Outsider Art Fair in New York and Intuit Outsider Art Fair in Chicago.

In 2009, Bonanno won an Award of Excellence in a juried competition for young people with disabilities, produced by VSA Arts and sponsored by Volkswagen in 2009. He was named one of 15 emerging young artists with disabilities and was honored during the artist reception in Washington, D.C. His winning pieces, ‘Ghost Town on Davenport Avenue’ was exhibited at the S. Dillon Ripley Center of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. and then was part of a traveling exhibition that went on a two-year nationwide tour of the university and independent galleries. Additionally, a second winning piece titled ‘Southhaven People’ was on exhibit at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C. before also partaking in the nationwide traveling exhibition that ran through September 2011.

'Journal', in the corporate collection of Google, in one of their offices in Leesburg, VA.

Due to a lack of accessible art education programs for college-age adults with autism and other similar neuro-diversities, Bonanno began private art classes at Creative Arts Workspace in New Haven in 2006 and has continued his formal training via private instruction from a variety of formally trained artists.

In January 2012, Bonanno unveiled his first Solo Exhibition, Unfiltered V: Vito Bonanno Riding with the Train Girls, at Akus Gallery at Eastern CT State University which included works on paper, canvas, video pieces, a student-artist interactive mural project, and installations. Akus Gallery Director, Elizabeth Peterson stated, “The characters, objects, and ideas that inhabit Vito Bonanno’s work act and interact in striking ways. Caught within the grids and map-like structures he imagines, they are often in a struggle between multiple worlds. He has found a way to tap in the intensity of focus and insight afforded him through autism to unleash a formidable creative power and vision.”

Bonanno launched a Solo Exhibition, 'Truck’n With Vito!', at Umbrella Arts Gallery, NYC in May 2014. Bonanno and his team transformed a typical van into a popup art gallery that traveled through CT earlier in 2014. From May through July the roaming art gallery came to New York and made stops at various locations in the city, including Bushwick Open Studios, sharing Bonanno’s art and spreading the word for the need for increased accessible higher education in the arts for adults with autism.

'Vito's Mind', (2016) part of the Controversial series.

Current and ongoing, Vito continues to work with various artist facilitators in his studio in Old Saybrook, CT expanding his knowledge of materials and techniques and further developing his creative vision. His unique view of the world provides a seemingly endless well of inspiration that fills his head with images and concepts until they spill over onto the canvas bursting on the scene in vibrant colors and hard to ignore imagery that can harbor obvious, but often secret messages.

Vito was chosen to participate in the prestigious global art competition Art Olympia in Tokyo, Japan 2015. His painting 'Skatepark Krusty' from Obsessions & Meditations was a First Round Winner. Bonanno was also chosen to feature his work in Art for Autism at Pan American Art Projects Gallery in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami, Florida in July 2015. He has been featured and spotlighted on Saatchi Art homepage twice in a row since July 2015, hand-picked by Saatchi Chief Curator Rebecca Wilson. In 2015 Bonanno was one of 16 artists in the United States selected for a prestigious exhibition of previous awardees from the VSA Emerging Artists Program in the Kennedy Center’s Hall of Nations with sponsorship from Volkswagen Group of America. This exhibition was showcased as part of the celebrations for the 25th Anniversary of the ADA and 40th Anniversary of VSA, and included the work of select artists who represented the past 13 years of the VSA Emerging Young Artist Program; Curated by Stephanie Moore, ‘Daffy Goes to Waterbury with a Ninja Turtle’ and ‘SECR Toilet’ were chosen to be part of the exhibition.

‘Daffy Goes to Waterbury with a Ninja Turtle’, sold to a private collector, from Bonanno's Obsession & Meditation Series (2014) and was exhibited at Spectrum Art Fair during Art Basel Miami Beach, solo exhibition 2014. Made with aerosol, acrylic, paint pen, craypas, and archival glitter on canvas; 41.5″H x 41.5″W framed.

In 2016 and 2017 Bonanno shifted gears and began creating a prolific collection of works that propelled him into a variety of gallery shows, US exhibitions and projects including Art Expo New York; Love Art Gallery, CT; Lotta Studio in New Haven, CT; Art Access Studio in Ohio; Lesley University group exhibition in March 2016 titled '3+ Artists: Celebrating Autism', curated and organized by Elizabeth Stringer Keefe, Assistant Professor of Graduate Special Education at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Bonanno was invited to participate in a group mural project in New Haven, Connecticut at Yale University in June 2018 as part of a public art initiative. Vito is also an artist with ArtLifting since early 2018, which is a non-for-profit art organization that empowers artists living with disabilities through the celebration and sale of their artwork. ArtLifting is about creating opportunity, empowerment, and validation.

Bonanno was diagnosed with PDD/Autism just before his 4th birthday. Because he was language delayed, his parents and teachers developed strategies that tapped into his high visual acuity, utilizing storyboard styles to relay academic and social information. He was also encouraged to draw in storyboard format to express his feelings. The storyboard grid remains prominent in his work and studio preparation today and is a poignant reminder of a boy who was trapped in his own mind.

The New England-based artists work is image and concept driven and imbedded in his personal philosophy. His art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts, and dreams, coupled around objects or topics that “get stuck in his head”, including traffic lights, grids, ceiling fans, graffiti and pop culture. For more information about this artist, for inquiries or to commission a piece contact vito@vitobonanno.com / visit www.vitobonanno.com

Renowned Autistic Artist Vito Bonanno's Artwork in the Corporate Collections of AMAZON and Google

 

Image: 'Journal', by internationally collected artist Vito Bonanno's Dreams & Reminiscing series (2020) - made with oil paint, india ink, oil stick or oil paint pen on canvas, 30″H x 40″W. This painting was acquired by Google for their Leesburg, VA offices.

Bonanno taps into the daily emotional and social challenges of living with autism, placing his innermost feelings onto canvas. He is an award-winning, world-famous artist with a career spanning back to his childhood.

Internationally collected artist Vito Bonanno taps into the daily emotional and social challenges of living with autism, placing his innermost feelings onto canvas. The New England-based artist's work is image and concept-driven and embedded in his personal philosophy. His art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts, and dreams, coupled with objects or topics that "get stuck in his head", including traffic lights, grids, ceiling fans, graffiti, and pop culture. Corporate clients include AMAZON, Google, and The Hartford.

Vito is aligned with ArtLifting, which is a non-for-profit art organization that empowers artists living with disabilities through the celebration and sale of their artwork. ArtLifting is about creating opportunity, empowerment, and validation. This collaboration opened many new and exciting opportunities for the artist, which includes his work in Google's corporate collection, with art hanging in their Leesburg, VA offices, as well as Amazon, for one of their corporate buildings in Seattle, Washington.

Bonanno was diagnosed with PDD/Autism just before his 4th birthday. Because he was language delayed, his parents and teachers developed strategies that tapped into his high visual acuity, utilizing storyboard styles to relay academic and social information. He was also encouraged to draw in storyboard format to express his feelings. The storyboard grid remains prominent in his work and studio preparation today and is a poignant reminder of a boy who was trapped in his own mind. For more information about this artist, for inquiries, or to commission work contact vito@vitobonanno.com / visit https://vitobonanno.com/

Check out Mixed Media Artist Vito Bonanno's Art on ‘The Art of Autism’ Information Postcards!

Renowned Artist Vito Bonanno recently had artwork selected by The Art of Autism for the organizations information postcards. The Art of Autism is a 501c3 nonprofit. Over one million people each year enjoy the blog posts, art and poetry they share on their website. 

Their mission is to empower and connect individuals within the autism community through participation in the Arts. To foster independence, self-esteem and artistic expression by participation in The Art of Autism Project through supporting artists, musicians and creative writers on the autism spectrum - raising awareness about autism and the arts - strengthening the broader autism community.

Renowned Mixed Media Artist Vito Bonanno pictured with his work

About Vito Bonanno: Internationally collected artist Vito Bonanno taps into the daily emotional and social challenges of living with autism, placing his innermost feelings onto canvas. The New England-based artist's work is image and concept-driven and embedded in his personal philosophy. His art contains the essence of his life, feelings, thoughts, and dreams, coupled with objects or topics that "get stuck in his head", including traffic lights, grids, ceiling fans, graffiti, and pop culture. Corporate clients include AMAZON, Google, and The Hartford.

For more information about this artist, for inquiries, or to commission work contact vito@vitobonanno.com / visit www.vitobonanno.com