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An exhibition devoted to the paintings of Fred Staloff opens Sunday at the Butler Institute of American Art.
Staloff (1924-2019) was born in New Jersey and was an engineering student in college when he joined the Army during World War II and participated in the invasion of the Philippine Islands and Okinawa.
His experiences during the war changed his perspective and his career path. With aid from the G.I. Bill, he enrolled at the Newark School of Fine & Industrial Art, where he studied sculpture with Reuben Nakian and painting with Hans Weingaertner.
He studied in Paris, where he met his wife, Janette. The couple returned to the U.S. in 1951, and after five years of painting and working part-time at various jobs, Staloff devoted himself full time to his art.
His body of work was donated to the Butler before his death in 2019.
According to Executive Director Louis A. Zona, "The Butler Institute is honored and privileged to present the remarkable paintings of Fred Staloff. Staloff's career, which spans more than six decades, is a testament to the quality and staying power of American painting and a wonderful reminder that painting continues to be the most vital of the visual arts."
Painter Gary Erbe, whose work has been featured many times at the Butler and is part of the permanent collection, is guest curator for the exhibition.
"Fred Staloff's paintings are modern in every respect, clearly defined and aesthetically pleasing," according to Erbe.
"He showed a true understanding of form and color, simplifying nature to the point of abstraction."
"Fred Staloff: Origins of a Modernist" will be on display through Nov. 16 at the Butler, 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown, and Janette Staloff will attend an opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.