ENDORSEMENTS

“Diane Belfiglio is a master in the use of light and dark. Her work dramatically emphasizes the power of contrast and does so in ways that invite the viewer to discover the visual and conceptual appeal of subtlety and simplicity. But what truly draws us to her work is her remarkable ability to organize visual components. I would suggest that Diane Belfiglio’s compositions are extraordinary examples of formalism and demonstrate a wonderful understanding of the effectiveness of a strong visual organization in the delivery of a concept. In many ways her paintings serve as a virtual master class in form and in the handling of diverse visual elements. She is a great talent and the Butler Institute of American Art is honored to host her work in our newly created Giffuni Gallery. Flora Giffuni, who inspired numerous artists to explore the pastel medium would have loved Diane Belfiglio’s work for its originality, and the level of skill which it so beautifully demonstrates.”

Dr. Louis Zona, Executive Director, Butler Institute of American Art

 

"Diane Belfiglio, a treasured Ohio artist, has a distinct style that often captures symbolic glimpses at life, architecture, and well known aspects of Ohio in her work. I often wonder what lingers in the shadows she ably captures on the canvas. The reflection of light and opportunity are juxtaposed by a sense of reality. Diane is the recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, and her work has been shown at our Riffe Gallery in downtown Columbus. Diane’s art continues to evolve as she engages in new subjects and ways of thinking and doing. Diane’s creative spirit is a gift to us all."
Donna S. Collins, Executive Director, Ohio Arts Council

“Diane Belfiglio is a meticulous artist who insists on the highest standards of artistic perfection in her own works. Each painting is laboriously and painstakingly elaborated in sharpest detail with solid fields of color that capture and hold the viewer’s attention. Her canvases are tight vibrant compositions reflecting many hours of intense concentration, and her oil pastels-true to the medium-are layers of blended colors that seem to come from the hand of a dual personality. She is both a colorist and a perfectionist, pretty much without equal in the contemporary art scene.”

M.J. Albacete, Executive Director Emeritus, Canton Museum of Art

 

"Diane is extremely passionate about her artwork and she invests a great deal of energy into articulating her vision through meticulously executed formalist renderings. She focuses on the unique patterns cast upon otherwise ordinary objects like chairs, concrete driveways, fences, building facades and forces the viewer to reconsider their design and function. Belfiglio's exhibition at the Massillon Museum offers a unique glimpse into her transition away from hard-edged architectural studies into a softer world of floral subjects."

Alexandra Nicholis, Executive Director, Massillon Museum

 

“Belfiglio’s oil pastels are an exhilarating fusion of solid pictorial structure with the poetry of texture and color - an elegantly skillful union of classical and contemporary sensibilities. Even the shadows seem alive, transforming the entire picture plane into a vibrant organism.” 

 

"The remarkable precision of lines, organic shapes, and saturated color all unite to make Diane Belfiglio’s watercolor, Lavish Lilies I, an altogether breathtaking ode to delicate, sunlit textures."

Artist Tom Wachunas, author of the blog ARTWACH, offering in-depth analysis and critique of the arts in greater Canton.

 

“Belfiglio’s work is technically vivacious. She captures richly by hand the same moments in time a photographer captures by lens. The historical buildings and monuments that serve so often as her subjects arrive on canvas resolutely whole and resoundingly profound. Her more recent floral-focused work does the same for bountiful blossoms. She is a master of light and shadow.”

Jessica Bennett, Editor, Indigo Ink Press

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                                                                                                     BIOGRAPHY

Diane Belfiglio (pronounced Bel FEE lee o) earned her B.F.A. in Drawing, Painting, and Graphics from The Ohio State University in 1978, and her M.F.A. in Painting from Syracuse University in 1980. Also in 1980, she was awarded a $6000 Aid-to-Individual-Artists Fellowship Grant from the Ohio Arts Council. Since that time, she has received numerous professional awards, including four Arts in Stark grants from 2011-2014. Belfiglio has exhibited in over 225 group and solo shows regionally, nationally, and internationally. She has been affiliated with the Rubiner Gallery in greater Detroit, the Mangel Gallery in Philadelphia, Jamie Szoke Gallery in NYC, the Brenda Kroos Gallery in Cleveland, and several other galleries and art consultants in northeast Ohio. Her Ohio Arts Council awards have come full circle, as she was recently awarded a $5000 Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award for her watercolor work in 2023.

 

Belfiglio's works are included in the permanent collections of six museums, including the Butler Institute of American Art, Itchiku Kubota Art Museum in Tokyo, Japan, the Canton Museum of Art, and the Massillon Museum. In addition, her works are in 25 corporate, hospital, library, school, and university art collections, and numerous private collections, including that of singer Patti LaBelle. Her painting, “Trumpeter of Justice,” was recently selected by the Stark County Courthouse Bicentennial Committee for inclusion in the permanent collection of the Stark County Courthouse.

Belfiglio's work has also been prominently displayed in the Ohio Governor's Office for eleven years through a juried program sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council until the program was discontinued in 2019. In 2018, Belfiglio was a “Featured Spotlight Artist” at the Ohio Governor’s Residence. This show was also organized by the Ohio Arts Council, and the work was selected by Ohio First Lady, Karen Kasich, and her staff.

Belfiglio is currently a Professional Assistant Professor of Art and Studio Coordinator at Walsh University in North Canton Ohio, where--in addition to teaching--she has designed and directed 15 community art projects. These projects engage Walsh University students, faculty and staff and local community partners to work together to create large painted mosaic installations. Ten of these installations can be found on Walsh’s campus, and five can be found throughout the greater Canton community.

Prior to her appointment at Walsh University in 2000, Belfiglio taught at Syracuse University, Kent State University, and The University of Akron. In 2013, she was inducted into the Plain Local Foundation and Alumni Association's Hall of Distinction for her outstanding professional accomplishments and community contributions. At Walsh University, she has been the recipient of two Outstanding Faculty Awards: in 2018 for Scholarship, and in 2021 for Teaching. Also in 2021, Belfiglio was awarded Advisor of the year for her service to Art Club, which was selected as the 2021 Student Organization of the Year.
 

Belfiglio's full CV, Review Articles, and Portfolio of Art and Community Art can be viewed on this website.  Her works which are available for sale can be found here:  (See PORTFOLIO and Shop)