Thomas Antonelli (1952-2019) was a fixture in the arts community in Provincetown and the solo artist at the long-running gallery, the Antonelli/Giardelli Gallery that he owned with his life partner, Gerald Giardelli. Antonelli, born in Ohio, attended Kent State University before moving to Provincetown in 1976 where he taught himself to paint. His work is distinctively his own: bold, joyful, soulful and often playful, but always strong, impressive and unique. Antonelli’s work is widely known and is in collections across the country and abroad. For many years, Antonelli and Giardelli spent winters in Italy exploring the mountain villages, the seaside towns, immersed in the daily life of their beloved home away from home. Antonelli was inspired by and painted from the palette he found in the sky, sea, flora and fauna of Rome, Tuscany and the coast of southern Italy. The works in this exhibition include several that reflect his great love for and nostalgia for his ancestral Italian home.

Antonelli’s painting history in Provincetown was evident in his beloved studio above his gallery on Commercial Street. A large, light-filled room with shelves of paints and brushes, great easels and walls and floors splashed with paint, marking them with the colors of his vision. He needed space to imagine and commit to canvas the everyday objects that best expressed his appreciation for and joy in the simple beauty that each had within itself. Aside from the appreciation for his work, so many of his collectors and admirers will say they most enjoyed his generosity of spirit as evidenced by his quiet yet expressive gift for meaningful conversation. Antonelli needed to make art, he needed to be in his own head and he needed to share both with others. Never one to join in art groups or organizations, per se, Antonelli was private yet open, expressive yet subtle. His work represents exactly who he was and that was what we understand as a rare kind of beauty.