H.R. Giger at the QCC Art Gallery

In the spirit of Halloween, allow me to remind you that modern masters of Fantasy Art have also been on display at the QCC Art Gallery.


In summer of 2012, works by H.R. Giger, whose Birth-Machine Baby appears at left, were among a large clutch of hyper-imaginative creations presented by the QCC Art Gallery in an exhibit called, "Visionaries: Art of the Fantastic".

For a lush overview of the exhibit, watch the video below: 

Jules Allen, Artist

In a previous post, we introduced you to Jules Allen and his work, as embodied by his latest publication, "In Your Own Sweet Way", with photos from several African nations culled from his excursions to the region over the past 30 years.

But it should be noted that this is not the first time this gifted artist has been published via the auspices of the QCC Art Gallery. In fact, "Double Up" tells a personal, photographic story of life inside New York City's Gleason's Gym in the 1980's and can be purchased via the QCC Art Gallery's own Gift Shop.

Jules Allen of QCC

Born in San Francisco in 1947, Jules Allen has advanced degrees in Fine Arts as well as Clinical Counseling Psychology. He has worked as a New York commercial photographer in the editorial, advertising and entertainment industries. He has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards and has been widely exhibited in the U.S. and abroad.

His photographs are included in museums and private collections worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Studio Museum in Harlem, the Brooklyn Museum, the Smithsonian, the National Gallery, and the Schomburg Center among others. Last but not least, and to our great good fortune, he is a Professor in the Department of Art and Design at QCC-CUNY.

We're proud to announce that his fourth book, "In Your Own Sweet Way", which documents an intimate, personal dialogue of the streets, back alleys, household settings, beaches and landscapes of several countries in Africa, has been published by the QCC Art Gallery and is available for purchase now.

Lisa Scandaliato

The Director with his Executive Coordinator

As Executive Coordinator of the QCC Art Gallery, Lisa Scandaliato works closely with Faustino Quintanilla on all exhibition planning, development and implementation of all in-house and traveling exhibitions, special programming and events.

She develops, and sometimes performs, educational walk-throughs of current exhibitions for patrons and students alike.

Her role is so vital to the day-to-day operation of the QCC Art Gallery that Director Quintanilla once exclaimed, "Lisa is the Gallery!"

High praise from a man of such exacting standards.

Check Out the Mojo Blog

As you may know, the word "mojo" has African origins and relates to talismans, charms and the receptacles in which they were carried. In modern American usage, it usually means magic, charm, talent or sex-appeal.

Well now, there is a magical, sexy blog for the QCC Art Gallery. It is called the Mojo QCC Art Gallery Blog and it appears something like the depiction below:

If you prefer Pinterest to Facebook and Instagram to Twitter, if you prefer images instead of words, then you should check out the Mojo QCC Art Gallery Blog and experiment with it's many dynamic presentation formats.

The Main Gallery

The main gallery at the QCC Art Gallery is adaptable, expansive and flooded with both natural and artificial light, as need arises.

It's a space that is attractive when empty, but more so, when adorned with the diversity of significant collections it has housed and displayed over the years.

If you haven't visited the QCC Art Gallery to date, now is the perfect time to enter free-of-charge and be amazed at its luxuious and commodious confines.

Scholarship at the QCC Art Gallery

There's always something new or in the works at the QCC Art Gallery.


At left, you see the lovely lounge that is being developed into an area for artistic scholarship, where Art Gallery members will have ready access to a fine collection of art and art history tomes, with digital subscriptions to many of the finest art galleries and museums in the world.

Cameroon World

Not long ago, the QCC Art Gallery was honored to present an outstanding exhibition of Cameroon art drawn from the private collection of Marshall and Caroline Mount.

This 240 piece exhibition included religious, political, and ancestral art. Many of these precious objects were sequestered in palace royal treasuries, only being brought out for high ritual or ceremony.

Order the companion book here or pick up a copy in the QCC Art Gallery Gift Shop.

African Art: Symbolism and Meaning

The Cameroon World exhibit appeared at the QCC Art Gallery a number of years ago. And soon another important exhibit from that region, Power and Ritual, will be featured at the QCC Art Gallery. Check back for more articles related to its arrival.

In the meantime, take a short, yet instructive, voyage through the world of African art, its symbols and their meanings via another fascinating exhibit, Through the Eyes of Our Ancestors.

Gary Van Wyk

Gary Van Wyk is an accomplished and acclaimed art historian and scholar. He served as the curator of the enormously successful Shangaa exhibit that appeared in the QCC Art Gallery in Spring 2013 and edited its companion volume, Shangaa: Art of Tanzania.

As a member of the Advisory Council to the QCC Art Gallery, he continues to shape its destiny through his acumen and efforts. And we are both fortunate and pleased to have his counsel and friendship.

Take a tour of the Shangaa exhibit with our friend and colleague, Dr. Gary Van Wyk.

Profile: Amazing Grace

If by chance you call or stop by the QCC Art Gallery, it is most likely that your first interaction will be with Grace Duran.

Grace has assisted Director Faustino Quintanilla and Lisa Scandaliato for years in a variety of ways, from coordinating exhibits to registering art objects. And I know from first-hand experience that they wouldn't know how to get on without her.

Farewell India

New Light on Early Art Forms was an exhibit that appeared over the summer, and like so many of the QCC Art Gallery's summer exhibits, did not enjoy as large an audience as it deserved since most of our student body was not in attendance.











Many of the pieces that comprised the exhibit, like the Bodhisattva heads above and the decorative frieze at right, though thousands of years old, retained a timeless elegance and restrained beauty that I, for one, will miss.