About the Artist
Thomas Valenti was born and raised in the South Bronx, NY. He has lived in Northern New Jersey since 1978. Valenti graduated from the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art as a Fine Art major but is for the most part self-taught. His inspiration and motivation stem from the belief that beauty is everywhere in everything. The artist states, “Growing up in the South Bronx has had a profound effect on my life and the way I view the world. I am at home in any urban setting. There is something special about the way light plays upon the surfaces of concrete, stone, steel, and blacktop. Shadows that seem to come from nowhere create the most interesting design patterns. By not living in the city, I have a completely objective point of view toward city life. I’m not affected by the hustle and bustle of everyday occurrences. This forces me to draw from childhood memories that are as clear as day. I am in effect painting from the eyes of a child”. To contact the artist and to view his work, resume, and bio, go to his official website at: www.thomasvalenti.net or Google: thomas valenti, artist. Valenti’s work can also be seen on YouTube.
Thomas Valenti served as President of Allied Artists of America (AAA) from 2006 – 2017. For his decade-plus years of service and dedication to the organization, he was elected as an Honorary Member and now holds the title of Presidential Adviser. Allied Artists of America was formed in 1914 and is among the most prestigious art societies in the United States. In March 2018, the Board of Directors of the Salmagundi Club unanimously approved that Valenti is appointed to the status of Emeritus Membership. This honor is the highest level of membership that can be obtained through the organization and is given on rare occasions. The Salmagundi Club, based in Manhattan, NY, originated in 1871, making it one of the oldest art societies in America. Valenti is also a member of the New Jersey Watercolor Society (NJWCS). In February 2018, the organization voted that Valenti be named a Fellowship Member. This status is awarded only to artists who have maintained their membership for an uninterrupted period of 30 years or more. Thomas Valenti is one of four Founding Members of the (now defunct) America China Oil Painting Artists League, also known as ACOPAL. The organization was created as a means to broaden the horizons and interchange between American and Chinese artists who paint in a realistic manner. Valenti holds title on the Executive Board of Directors and is Presidential Adviser. He also developed the outline for the Constitution and By-Laws for the organization. Valenti assisted with curating an exhibition that included 50 of America’s most renowned artists. The exhibition, called Contemporary American Realism, was a year-long exhibit that traveled throughout China with venues that included Beijing World Art Museum; Chinese Academy of Oil Painting; Tianjin Art Museum; Shanghai Art Museum, and others. More than one-quarter of a million Chinese citizens in all viewed the exhibition.
Thomas Valenti’s work and writings have been featured in several publications. He is the author of: “The Tonal Technique to Watercolor Painting”, an article that appeared in an October 1986 issue of The Artist’s Magazine. His work was also featured in the January 2007, 70th Year Anniversary issue of the American Artist Magazine. The eight-page article, written by M. Stephen Doherty, Editor-In-Chief of the magazine, describes the artist’s versatility in working between oil and watercolor. Doherty invited Valenti to appear in the nationally distributed publication. Valenti’s work was selected to appear in Splash17 – Inspiring Subjects. Splash is a North Light Books publication. In 2012, friend and fellow artist, Warren Chang asked Valenti to write something for a book that would feature a retrospective of his (Chang’s) work. Valenti gladly agreed. That writing became the introduction to the book – Warren Chang, Narrative Paintings. The introduction itself is titled – Warren Chang: An Artist For Our Times. Thomas Valenti is the recipient of countless major awards in National and International Juried Competitions some of which include, Traveling Exhibition – American Watercolor Society; First Place Award – Salmagundi Club Juried Members Exhibition; Best-In-Show – St Mark’s 29th Annual Exhibition, Mendham, NJ; ArtKudos.com online International Exhibition. Allied Artists of America Gold Medal of Honor (Best-in-Show) 2019. The Dale Meyers Cooper Award with Medal 2022.