The Suzie Cappa Art Center handed out its 16th Artist of the Year award to a longtime member and animal lover.
Brad Winter is the executive director of the Suzie Cappa Art Center. He introduces the artist of the year to the crowded gallery.
“Tonight is Art Night for Suzie Cappa and we are celebrating Shawn Bifulco. Amazing talent. He does a lot of acrylic work, he loves pottery.”
Bifulco’s favorite subject is animals. Paintings of cats, wolves and owls fill the table and wall for his exhibit. Mary Ann Blanchard is an art instructor at the center. She says Bifulco uses all types of mediums.
“He’s created three dimensional things with clay, with cardboard. He does paintings. And he’s a very self-directed artist.”
Staff says he is independent and quiet, rarely ever speaking.
Bifulco’s work gained national attention in 2010.
ANCOR is a national nonprofit that supports organizations like Black Hills Works. And a few years ago as part of their 40th anniversary, they put out a call for people served by their organizations to submit self-portraits. And Shawn Bifulco’s self-portrait was chosen by Black Hills Works to be submitted and then it was chosen by ANCOR. And his piece of art is now hanging in the permanent collection in their headquarters in Alexandria Virginia.”
Blanchard says Bifulco and his mother visited his work in Washington D.C. while the collection was displayed at the Smithsonian Institute. The art center has scheduled the annual Royal Tea event to celebrate Bifulco in May.
For SDPB, I’m CL in RC.