RESUME

Solo Exhibitions

2011  “Of Metal and Bone”, Solo’s Project House, Open Door’s Festival Newark, NJ

2010   "Nothing in site" Installation, Finley S. Gallery, Montclair, NJ

2010   Watchung Art Center, Watchung, NJ

2010   "Self-Pretense" Installation, Finley S. Gallery special projects room, Montclair, NJ

2010   Monterey Towers Opening, Watchung, NJ

2010  Lobby Gallery, Solo’s Project House, Newark, NJ

Group Exhibitions

2011    “10th Edition of Fountain at Basel Miami”, Miami, FL

2011    “10th Edition of Gallerist.com at Basel Miami”, Miami, FL

2011    “8th Annual Fresh Meat / Young Blood”, SICA, Longbranch, NJ

2011    “Montclair State University MFA Thesis Exhibit”, Sideshow Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

2011    “YooDaMan”, Finely Gallery, Montclair, NJ

2010    “Dont' look Now” MSU MFA, Index Gallery, Newark, NJ

2010    “Open Doors Festival - Studio tour" Newark Arts Council Newark, NJ

2010    “Collect This”, 239 Collective Gallery, Newark, NJ

2010    “Into the Void”, Index Gallery, Newark, NJ

2010    “Montclair State MFA group show", Index Gallery, Newark, NJ  

2010    "Début opening showcase", Solo’s Project House, Newark, NJ

2009    “Parkway Studios showcase and tour", Bloomfield, NJ

2009    “Narrative Art" Watchung Art Center, Watchung, NJ

2009   “Intentionally Untitled", Finley S. Gallery, Montclair, NJ

2009  “From Across the River”, Steuben West Gallery, Brooklyn NY

2008   “Incorporeal", Finley S. Gallery, Montclair, NJ

2008   “Portals and Port-Smiths", Finley S. Gallery, Montclair, NJ

2006   “Enter In: Arts Conference”, Zarephath, NJ

2002   “Gravity Artist Exhibition”, Dancing Goat Gallery, Orange, NJ

2001   “Gravity Artist Exhibition”, Dancing Goat Gallery, Orange, NJ

2000   “CBGB’s Artist Showcase”, New York, NY

1999   “Metro Arts Festival – Artist Showcase”, Liberty State Park, NJ

Award & Juried Exhibitions

2010   Honorable Mention: “Clash of the Artist " Art For Progress, NY, NY

2009   Best In show “Juried Exhibition" Watchung Art Center, Watchung, NJ

2009   Finalist: “My Art Space, 2009 Miami Aqua Art Competition" Miami FL

2009   Finalist: “Art in Action” International Arts Movement -Tribeca Performing Arts Center, NY

2009   William Nagengast Memorial Award: “Juried Exhibition” Somerset Art Association, Bedminister, NJ. Juried by Denise Hansson, Art Consultant, Avila Fine Arts

2008   Honorable Mention: “Juried Member Exhibition” Visual Art Center, Summit, NJ. Juried by Edwin Ramoran, Director at Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art, Newark, NJ

2008   “Juried Member Exhibition” Somerset Art Association, Bedminister, NJ

1992   1st place: Painting, “Juried Exhibition” The College of New Jersey, NJ

1989   1st place: “DECA”, State Outdoor Advertising competition, NJ

1989   1st place: “DECA”, Regional Outdoor Advertising competition, NJ

 

Education

2008-2011   MFA in Studio Art, Montclair State University, NJ

 2010   Non-Profit Art buisness course work, Montclair State University, NJ

         2006  Stage-craft design, Raritan County College, NJ

         2003  Classroom Management:  Behavior Management, Raritan County College, NJ

         1998   Art Education course work, The College of New Jersey, NJ

         1994   BFA, The College of New Jersey , NJ

1989-1990   Art Institute of Philadelphia , PA

 

Academic Credentials

New Jersey State Teachers Certificate & ACSI Teachers Certificate

2009-Present   Adjunct professor of Fine Arts, Nyack College, NYC and Nyack, NY

2004-2008   Teacher of Art, 7^th-12^th grade, SC Academy, Zarephath, NJ

2001-2009    Creative development & art education, Gravity Inc. 501(c)(3) Arts Initiative, NJ

2008, 2009   Teachers Assistant, Montclair State University; Painting, Montclair NJ

2008, 2009   Teachers Assistant, Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation; Summer Session, CO

          2006   Panelist - Lecture Presentation "Enter In: Arts Conference" Zarephath, NJ

          2005   Lecture Presentation, Somerset College, Zarephath, NJ

2004-2005   Substitute Teacher, Great Meadows MS and Warren Hills HS, NJ

1997-2001   Adventure Education, The High Ground Adventure Co., Edison, NJ

 

Professional & Administrative

2009-2010   Board of Directors, Watchung Art Center; Watchung, NJ

2004-2008  Art Department Director K-12^th, SC Academy; Zarephath, NJ

2001-2009  Executive Director - Founder, Gravity Inc. 501(c)(3) arts Initiative, NJ

1997-2001  Executive Director - Event Coordinator, The High Ground Adventure Co., NY/NJ

2000-2004  Creative Director, Liquid, Millington, NJ

2002-2003  Art Director, Marketing Edge Group, North Brunswick, NJ

1998-2000  Art Director/Digital Media Director, JK Design, Somerset NJ

Design Work History

2002-2003    Art Director, Marketing Edge Group

1998-2004    Freelance Art Director, Various agencies

1998-2000    Art Director/Digital Media Director, JK Design

1990-1998    Contract Graphic Designer, Various agencies

1999-2001    Software Training Consultant

1993-1994    Graphic Designer, The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Graphic Studio

          1992    Airbrush Artist/T-shirt Designer, Great Adventure Theme Park

          1991    Designer/Production Artist, Max Graphix, Berlin NJ

1990-1991    Graphic Designer/Production Artist, CQ Publications/Ad Lib Advertising

1988-1989    Designer/Production Artist, Art Graphix

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BIOGRAPHY

Marc D'Agusto was born on January 9, 1971, in Woodbury, NJ. One might imagine an artist's development would be some romanticized mythology of serendipitous convergences, not unlike Mozart, a classic narrative revealing a higher anointing and passion to the creative spirit of a young prodigy. Arguably, these streams may have been present in Marc's life, but by his middle school years they were supplanted by a mythic lack of discipline and opportunity, and a passion for mischief more in tune with Tom Sawyer and Shakespeare's Puck. Sadly, it wasn't from virtuous affect nor notions of higher love for the creative spirit that unlocked his artistic propensity. It was one fateful day in 7th grade study hall where he learned the potential power of the arts to acquire female attention. Similar teenage courtship efforts led him to champion status in wrestling, cross-country and competitive street dancing. Dedicated as he was to his quest, his artistic skills developed quickly, from comic book characters, psychedelic scenes, to a variety of sculptural articulations. After pushing his way through a sub-par high school arts program and continually missing every opportunity to land a date along the way, his passions lead him to a career path as an artist. He first attended The Art Institute of Philadelphia, and then later completed his BFA with a concentration in graphic design at The College of New Jersey.

He has since been a career artist with over 20 years experience as a graphic designer, art director, web designer, and corporate educator, working with various organizations in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Marc is a dedicated artist, educator, and creative arts director. He has 5 years experience as the creator and director of a private school art program while also teaching at the secondary school level. He is the founder and executive director of Gravity a 501(c)(3) arts CDC initiative. He motivates, challenges and nurtures students of all ages to develop their unexplored creative talents. Marc is passionate about fostering students’ abilities to see the world as it is while exploring how it is perceived. He is gifted in unleashing individuals’ personalities in their art, careers and personal life by encouraging creativity through the exploration of their worlds. This has led Marc to Montclair State University of New Jersey, where he is currently pursuing his Masters in Fine Arts degree with the desire for creative expression and innovative approaches to life. [top]

STATEMENT

Shifting through the rubble of contemporary life, my work examines the nuances of transformation. I address catharsis and the shedding of the old self to the essence of becoming a renewed generative identity, the journey of ruin to renewal. Like a molting cicada shedding its past life, my work explores traces of discarded history and alludes to new beginnings. I express this process through unique layering techniques where I build up, peel away, scrape down, and build up again – as a ritual manifestation of our daily movement through life. I often use buildings, architectural forms and constructed spaces as a metaphor for the framing of the human body and mind: boards and concrete as bone; facades and veneers as skin and dressing; the illusion of space as memory and thought. Bodies and shelters are designed to contain living spirits, yet both are altered by time and decay. The active life of the interior becomes manifest externally.

Remnants of images often appear in my work, disintegrating on façades replete with fissures, cracks, and relief textures. These are reminiscent of excavated artifacts, relics of a deteriorating past, memories of events or places painted with the illusion of deep space. The cracked veneers and open brushwork disrupt the perception of dimensional space, revealing the pretense that it is only flat and finite. The ephemeral nature of the broken and entropic surfaces may suggest, like memory, that time may soon forget this place.

As a catalyst for discourse, I attempt to invoke connections through transformed surroundings, coalescing objects, and depictions of ambiguous narratives. Distorting the scale of recognizable objects plays a vital role in reorienting the viewer’s body to an altered awareness of the environment. This sets the stage for transcending the making of mere objects, and generating relational encounters where creative acts are coauthored to further mutual understanding of our surroundings and ourselves.

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PRESS:

Visit my Blog and Facebook Page for the latest press. [top]

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