In collaboration with the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation

Utica-native Patrick Fiore has created a series of paintings inspired by Howard Zinn’s “A People’s History of the United States 1492 – Present.” ArtRage exhibited all 34 of his original paintings and the Gage Foundation  unveiled four prints from the collection.

Introduction of the artist by the late historian Howard Zinn (c. 2009): “What attracts me to [Patrick’s] work is his profound understanding of the connection between art and social struggle. When the artist consciously joins that struggle, as Patrick Fiore does in his paintings, he or she is defying the warnings of those who say: stick to your art, don’t meddle in the affairs of the world. The artist is declaring: “I am not just an artist, I am a citizen, I am a human being, and in fact my work as an artist is secondary to my existence as a thinking, feeling member of the human race.

Patrick does not conceal his intention. He wants, by putting the people and events of the “People’s History” into graphic, startling form, to draw attention to the history of our nation, to the stories omitted, the heroes of dissent missing from the pages of the textbooks. He wants to reach people by his paintings and to inspire them to think for themselves about our society, to tell them about the way people through the centuries have behaved with compassion and kindness, against all odds, have thought for themselves, have organized and agitated, and refused obedience to laws and practices that offend common decency.

Thanks to a grant from the IDEAS Collaborative, this exhibition was presented in partnership with the Matilda Joslyn Gage Foundation. The Gage Foundation had an additional opening reception with Patrick Fiore on Sunday, January 13, 2013 at the Gage House located at 210 E. Genesee Street, Fayetteville, NY 13066.

The Gage Foundation hosted a series of events throughout the run of the exhibition.

“Significant Souls” was made possible with support from the IDEAS Implementation Fund, which provides grants to implement strategies derived from the IDEAS Collaborative (Initiative to Develop and Engage Audiences in Syracuse). IDEAS seeks to strengthen the connection between the community and arts, culture, and heritage organizations by engaging audiences, fostering collaboration, identifying the arts as an economic engine, and developing cooperative marketing and communications strategies.  IDEAS is funded by the Allyn Foundation, the Central New York Community Foundation, the Gifford Foundation, The Dorothy and Marshall M. Reisman Foundation, the John Ben Snow Foundation, and the Trust for Cultural Resources of the County of Onondaga.

Thank you to our ArtRage exhibition sponsors: Jerry & Carol Berrigan, Sari & Doug Biklen, Dik Cool, Annemarie Deegan, Bill Delavan, Bruce Grannan & Melinda Matzell, the Holtz Family Fund, John Langan – In Memory of Sheryl Aiello, Eric Luft, Jack Mannion & Stephanie Miner, Julia Minoia – In Memory of Dr. Clive Jones, PhD., Lleni Pach, Robert Sarason & Jane Burkhead, Joanne Sassi Willcox, Peter Waack & Maggie Maurer and Syracuse University Department of Education.

Special thanks to our 2012-13 Season Sponsors: Ruth Putter & The Left Tilt Fund.