In the Media
AroundWellinton.Com November 2009:
International Artist Tito Mangiola
Living in Wellington and Painting with a Purpose
Story by: Krista Martinelli
Behind every Tito Mangiola painting or piece of art, there is a story. "His paintings have a lyrical quality to them," says his wife Leonarda, who teaches art at the Dillon Country Day School. One of the paintings that captured the most attention is named, "An Italian Comedy: Il Bracco
Italiano." The painting is a humorous, in-the-moment criticism of the politics of Italy, where Tito
comes from originally. From left to right, he included the players in their roles as "judge,"
"politician," "religious leader," "dog," "fly" and "Mafia." He boldly called out the corrupt forces
that were in power, putting a face on each one.
From left to right, Tito Mangiola included the
players in their roles as "judge," "politician,"
"religious leader," "dog," "fly" and "Mafia" in his Il
Bracco Italiano.
Tito Maan-Mangiola had entered the painting into a national exhibition and competition, not knowing if the judges would appreciate his playful portrait of corruption in Italy. Meanwhile, he had attempted to become a U.S. citizen, but was denied his citizenship.
"I had too many children to be granted my citizenship," says Tito. He explains that his four children at the time were considered a liability (even though they were all living in Europe), when immigration officials were aiming to keep numbers as low as possible. Meanwhile, Tito won
first place for "An Italian Comedy" in the 60th Annual National Exhibition of Contemporary American Paintings in 1999. "As soon as I won that award for that painting, my citizenship was no longer a problem," says Tito. He was granted citizenship later that same year after winning
the award. "I owe my citizenship to this painting," he says.
Artist Tito Mangiola with one of his works in
progress
Tito lives, breathes, talks and creates art. He is passionate about many things, including opera, watching polo, entertaining and teaching; however, his drive to create art
transcends all else. He decided to become an artist when he was just eight years old. In his Italian school, he found himself getting in trouble with the teachers for being color blind. In fact, in an era when students
would get slapped on the hand for things like being left-handed or, in Tito's case, for being color blind, it
was more critical to overcome. Instead of turning him away from art, the punishments he endured made
him determined to become an artist.
Learning colors by numbers of calibration and constantly looking them up, Tito worked on his art
with painstaking effort. As he began to excel in it, he took more and more classes. "I drove my
mother crazy," says Tito. "I kept switching my major every two years." He studied oil painting,
tapestry, jewelry, wood sculpture and many other arts. This kind of dabbling was not how things
were done in Italy at the time, explains Tito. You were expected to choose your major, stick with
it and get on with your career. However, Tito's hunger for more art classes seemed insatiable.
As a child, he lived in Calabria, located in the "tip of the boot" in Southern Italy, a town with "not
a lot of money," according to Tito. While expensive paints and art supplies were hard to come
by, it was easy to get a hold of spare chalk, a household item. So Tito began drawing in chalk
and selling his chalk drawings for very small amounts or sometimes in even exchange for ice
cream. He was inspired by several artists, in particular, Caravaggio and Bruegel.
Mangiola's Homage to Chagall
Today in his home in Wellington, Florida, Tito displays many of his own paintings, as well as his
homages to various artists like Bruegel, Chagall, Toulouse Lautrec and others. In fact, every inch
of Tito and Leonarda's home is filled with art. They have a deep appreciation for beauty, as well
as a sense of humor which contributes some whimsical ceramic items into the mix.
The Village of Wellington proudly displays one of Tito's trademark mosaic-style paintings. It's a
polo-themed tribute to Wellington and hangs on the wall in the lobby of the Wellington
Community Center.
Tito Mangiola's tribute to Wellington
and hangs on the wall in the lobby of
the Wellington Community Center.
This "faux mosaic" style is an unusual way of oil painting. From afar, it looks like a real mosaic. Tito explains that he generally does a painting in three versions, getting to know his subject
quite well by the time he is finished.
A limited edition painting (Epreuve d'Artiste) can be seen at the Palm Beach Airport on the second level. It's permanently exhibited there, as it was a donation from Tito Mangiola to the
community.
In 2007, Tito Mangiola and his family met the former President Jimmy Carter and his wife in
Plains, Georgia. For this occasion, he donated a Limited Edition painting entitled, "Excluded World II." Mangiola was impressed with the accomplishments of President Carter, even after serving as President and delighted with his hospitality. Of course, not all of Mangiola's
paintings take a political stance, but when they do, he has no problem with telling the story
exactly as he sees it, often adding a bit of his humor too.
Photo (l to r.): Tito Mangiola,
former President Jimmy Carter and
Rosalynn Carter, Leonarda
Mangiola (and front) Nina Mangiola
One of his paintings that is loaded with symbolism and possible interpretations is called "In the
Name of God." Sometimes Tito and Leonarda refer to it as the "9/11 painting." In his own
words, Tito explains, "'In the Name of God' has been for centuries used to justify our means
aggressively, resulting in countless acts of destruction and genocide." He continues, "At the
center of this artwork, an Orthodox Serb is aggressively pointing a weapon to try to justify all of
the atrocity committed by him or against him. Around him different
religious symbols mixed with atrocious scenes form a garland of war scenes: Christians, Jews, Muslims'
battles and invasion crusades, as well as the African tribal fight like the Uganda tragedy." At the bottom of
the painting is a depiction of the terrorist attack on the Twin Towers from September
11th. It is a thoughtprovoking
piece that brings to mind the many atrocities that have been committed over the ages, all "in the
name of God."
Tito has lived all over the world and brings an informed and eclectic viewpoint to his art. He grew
up in Italy and stayed until the age of 18. He then moved onto Switzerland and lived there for 23
years. He also has lived for shorter periods of time in Austria, Germany, France, Holland and
Australia. In 1992, Tito and his wife Leonarda moved to Wellington, Florida. After searching
Florida for the right place, they were attracted to Wellington because of the polo and the beauty
of the village. They bought two houses, one to live in and one to rent out in the polo season. Tito
devotes a good portion of his artworks to the subject of polo and some of these works can be
seen on his website under "Equestrian Art [1]." Tito says that he is fond of inserting horses and
dogs into his paintings, whenever possible, as he is fond of both of them.
Both Tito and Leonarda teach art. Tito teaches adult education classes in the evenings at Royal
Palm Beach High School, as well as tutoring young students in art in after-school lessons at his
own kitchen table. Both are very warm and inviting. They challenge their young students to work
on difficult projects, and the students seem to thrive of this.
Leonarda and Tito Mangiola
When asked how an artist makes a living in today's world, Tito laughed and explained, "It's
always a struggle." He's always found a way to make ends meet, doing things related to art. In
Switzerland, he had a frame factory, as well as two art galleries. Here in the United States, it's a
combination of teaching, managing property and art that keeps the couple busy, and always
employed. Tito longs for the days when European churches frequently commissioned art, and art
was taken more seriously.
Tito, a gentle and stedfast teacher,
instructing two of his young students to excel
at art
Both Tito and Leonarda enjoy having an open, welcoming house, where friends can come and go
freely. When I asked Leonarda if she ever worries about the many fragile pieces of art getting
broken during their parties, she simply responds, "You have to enjoy life!" Along with my family,
I had the pleasure of joining them on the day after our interview for a birthday party for their 13
-year-old daughter Nina. It was an unexpected treat to see a local pianist (who has accompanied
Pavarotti in the past) playing songs, while Tito sang along vigorously, inviting everyone to join
in. While you might not necessarily catch this from his art (which sometimes has dark
undertones), those who know Tito can see that he is one of the friendliest people you will ever
meet. He has a true zest for life, which comes through whether he is painting, dancing, singing,
drinking wine or just telling a story.
In the next year or so, Tito plans on showing his artwork at a museum in Calabria, Italy (where
he originates from). He does have a few commissioned pieces in the works too. His international
awards and past exhibits are too numerous to mention, although this link (CJRFineArts.com)
gives a good summary. As a professional artist, he does portraits and illustrations, working in a
variety of media, but mostly in oil. Visit
www.TitoMangiola.com for more information.
Tito Donates Art to Palm Beach Internation Airport October 2008
Tito Meets President Jimmy Carter February 2007
