Virgil Cantini
Encyclopedia
Virgil David Cantini was an enamelist,
sculptor and educator. He was well known for innovation with enamel and steel and received both local and national recognition for his work, including honorary awards, competitive prizes and commissions, along with a Guggenheim Fellowship
in 1957. Cantini long served as a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh
, where he helped to create the Department of Studio Arts. A longtime resident of the Oakland
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, Cantini died on May 2, 2009 at the age of 90. Today, many of his large scale works on display throughout the city of Pittsburgh.
, Cantini and his family emigrated to Weirton, West Virginia
in the 1920s. He initially attended Manhattan College
in New York
before transferring to Carnegie Institute of Technology
(now Carnegie Mellon) where he received a football scholarship and earned All-America
status as a quarterback
. His studies were interrupted by World War II
, in which he served the Army
making topographical maps and models in North Africa
.
Following the war, Cantini received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1946 from Carnegie Tech and married a fellow art student, Lucille Kleber. Cantini went on to earn a master’s in fine arts at the University of Pittsburgh in 1948, and was granted an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Duquesne University
in 1982.
Cantini and his wife settled in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh were they had two daughters, Maria and Lisa, and lived for 60 years. His home on the 200 block of South Craig Street also served as his studio and gallery.
Beginning in 1948, Cantini’s artwork gained national exposure when his enamel “Masquerade” was juried at the 13th National Ceramic Exhibition in Syracuse, New York
. In 1953 he was named one of the “Hundred Leaders of Tomorrow” by Time magazine. In 1956, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
named Cantini the region’s Artist of the Year. By 1959, Cantini was considered among the most prominent contemporary enamelists, with his work included regularly in New York’s Museum of Contemporary Crafts exhibitions.
Cantini taught at the University of Pittsburgh for 38 years, retiring in 1989. He was the first chair of the Department of Studio Arts, which he is credited with establishing. He also served on the University's Athletic Committee in the 1970s. Cantini formerly served as the chair of the Department of Art,
and served as Professor of Studio Arts, Emeritus until his death.
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sculptor and educator. He was well known for innovation with enamel and steel and received both local and national recognition for his work, including honorary awards, competitive prizes and commissions, along with a Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
in 1957. Cantini long served as a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, where he helped to create the Department of Studio Arts. A longtime resident of the Oakland
Oakland (Pittsburgh)
Oakland is the academic, cultural, and healthcare center of Pittsburgh and is Pennsylvania's third largest "Downtown". Only Center City Philadelphia and Downtown Pittsburgh can claim more economic and social activity than Oakland...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, Cantini died on May 2, 2009 at the age of 90. Today, many of his large scale works on display throughout the city of Pittsburgh.
Life
A native of ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Cantini and his family emigrated to Weirton, West Virginia
Weirton, West Virginia
Weirton is a city located in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, United States. Most of the city is in Hancock County, with the remainder in Brooke County. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 20,411...
in the 1920s. He initially attended Manhattan College
Manhattan College
Manhattan College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college in the Lasallian tradition in New York City, United States. Despite the college's name, it is no longer located in Manhattan but in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, roughly 10 miles north of Midtown. Manhattan College offers...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
before transferring to Carnegie Institute of Technology
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
(now Carnegie Mellon) where he received a football scholarship and earned All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
status as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. His studies were interrupted by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in which he served the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
making topographical maps and models in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Following the war, Cantini received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1946 from Carnegie Tech and married a fellow art student, Lucille Kleber. Cantini went on to earn a master’s in fine arts at the University of Pittsburgh in 1948, and was granted an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Duquesne University
Duquesne University
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of...
in 1982.
Cantini and his wife settled in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh were they had two daughters, Maria and Lisa, and lived for 60 years. His home on the 200 block of South Craig Street also served as his studio and gallery.
Beginning in 1948, Cantini’s artwork gained national exposure when his enamel “Masquerade” was juried at the 13th National Ceramic Exhibition in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. In 1953 he was named one of the “Hundred Leaders of Tomorrow” by Time magazine. In 1956, the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
The Pittsburgh Center for the Arts is a non-profit community arts campus that offers arts education programs and contemporary art exhibitions in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
named Cantini the region’s Artist of the Year. By 1959, Cantini was considered among the most prominent contemporary enamelists, with his work included regularly in New York’s Museum of Contemporary Crafts exhibitions.
Cantini taught at the University of Pittsburgh for 38 years, retiring in 1989. He was the first chair of the Department of Studio Arts, which he is credited with establishing. He also served on the University's Athletic Committee in the 1970s. Cantini formerly served as the chair of the Department of Art,
and served as Professor of Studio Arts, Emeritus until his death.
Partial list of works
- 24 by 36 foot Mosaic, Teplitz Memorial Moot Courtroom, Barco Law BuildingBarco Law BuildingBarco Law Building is an academic building housing the University of Pittsburgh School of Law on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The $8.5 million six-story building was opened in January 1976 and dedicated on May 1, 1976...
, University of Pittsburgh School of LawUniversity of Pittsburgh School of LawThe University of Pittsburgh School of Law was founded in 1895, and became a charter member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1900...
, representing the artist's conception of the harmony of the law and the rich tapestry of the American legal system - "Mosaic Tunnel," Glass mosaic (1964), Pedestrian tunnel behind U.S. Steel TowerU.S. Steel TowerU.S. Steel Tower, also known as the Steel Building , is the tallest skyscraper in Pittsburgh, the fourth tallest building in Pennsylvania, and the 37th tallest in the United States. Completed in 1970, the tower has 64 floors to and has of leasable space. Its original name was the U.S. Steel...
, beneath Bigelow Boulevard, downtown Pittsburgh. - "Man," Bronze and Steel sculpture (1965), Parran HallParran HallParran Hall is an academic building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The building, constructed to house the Graduate School of Public Health, was completed in 1957, and designed by Eggers & Higgins, architects of the Dirksen...
facade, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health. Cantini designed Man as a sculpture referring to the body, knowledge, and health. - "Ode to Space," Steel with bronze and glass sculpture (1966), Forbes Avenue at University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Dedicated as a tribute to Chancellor Edward LitchfieldEdward LitchfieldEdward Harold Litchfield was an American educator and the twelfth Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. He is best known for a major expansion of the university, but also a failure to raise sufficient capital to fund such growth, eventually leading to his resignation in July 1965.He earned...
, who died in a plane crash in 1968. - "Joy of Life," Cor-Ten steel sculpture (1969), East Liberty Mall at Penn and Highland Avenues, Pittsburgh.
- "Aerial Scape, Skyscape," Porcelain enamel (1970), One Oliver Plaza, Rear Lobby, 210 Sixth Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh. Rear lobby of One Oliver Plaza is to be remodeled in 2009 and the artwork has been given as a gift to the University of Pittsburgh. Will be relocated to Posvar Hall.
- "Science and Mankind" Porcelain enamel mural (1973) in Chevron Science CenterChevron Science CenterChevron Science Center is a landmark academic building at 219 Parkman Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh...
at the University of Pittsburgh is said to be his proudest work. - "Enlightenment and Joy," porcelain enamel mural (1977) entrance to Wesley W. Posvar HallWesley W. Posvar HallWesley W. Posvar Hall , formerly known as Forbes Quadrangle, is a landmark building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. At it is the largest academic-use building on campus, providing administrative offices, classrooms, lecture halls, a food...
University of Pittsburgh. The vibrant colors are the result of several layers of paint on each individual tile. - Large enamel painting framing a crucifixCrucifixA crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
and enamel paintings of the 14 stations of the crossStations of the CrossStations of the Cross refers to the depiction of the final hours of Jesus, and the devotion commemorating the Passion. The tradition as chapel devotion began with St...
, originally in St. Henry Church in the Arlington neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, moved to the now failed art museum at the Pope John Paul II Cultural CenterPope John Paul II Cultural CenterThe Pope John Paul II Cultural Center was established to house a Roman Catholic museum and think tank in Washington, D.C. The concept for the center began at a meeting between Pope John Paul II and then-Bishop Adam Maida in 1988. The building is set on 12 acres adjacent to The Catholic University...
in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
See also
- Parran HallParran HallParran Hall is an academic building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The building, constructed to house the Graduate School of Public Health, was completed in 1957, and designed by Eggers & Higgins, architects of the Dirksen...
- Wesley W. Posvar HallWesley W. Posvar HallWesley W. Posvar Hall , formerly known as Forbes Quadrangle, is a landmark building on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. At it is the largest academic-use building on campus, providing administrative offices, classrooms, lecture halls, a food...
- Chevron Science CenterChevron Science CenterChevron Science Center is a landmark academic building at 219 Parkman Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh...
- Barco Law BuildingBarco Law BuildingBarco Law Building is an academic building housing the University of Pittsburgh School of Law on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The $8.5 million six-story building was opened in January 1976 and dedicated on May 1, 1976...
- David Lawrence Hall (University of Pittsburgh)
External links
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