Recent Works
by collage artist Charles Ventrello
in the Frame Shop Gallery
from October 5 through December 3, 2004.

Inspired by the work of Marcel Duchamp and Robert Rauschenberg, Charles Ventrello combines eclectic mediums, including photography, prints, and three-dimensional objects to create dynamic collages. Recent Works consists of approximately twenty new pieces.

As an active member of the Northwest Pennsylvania Artists Association, Charles Ventrello has exhibited at many local galleries and museums including the Erie Art Museum, Butler Institute of American Art, Chautauqua Institution, MCA Galleries, and the Schuster Gallery. Immersed in the world of art education, Ventrello taught at a number of institutions including Harbor Creek Elementary School, Mercyhurst College, and Penn State Behrend. Ventrello taught classes such as “Crafts in the Elementary School,” “The Visual Arts in the Classroom,” and “Understanding Jazz.” Ventrello was also a painting instructor for the Erie Art Center from 1963 to 65.

A brilliant saxophone player, Ventrello has participated in numerous contemporary music ensembles, since 1954, including the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, the Perry String Quartet and, as leader, Concourse, Sack O’ Bones, and the Charles Ventrello Quartet, among others.