“Life is short, art is eternal. Not sure who said this,” says Ken Stanchi, but this is the theme surrounding his latest artwork. A long time resident of LaBelle, Stanchi is a multi-talented, free-spirited, and overall amazingly original artist, whose work consists of “Pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, acrylic paintings, oil paintings, and 2D and 3D mixed media 2D & 3D, and my current exploration of the 3D capturing of negative space with multimedia material, form, and color.”

His pieces range from peaceful country landscapes and monotoned wildlife, to brilliantly colored, imaginative abstracts. There seems to be nothing this artist can’t come up with in his mind’s eye. Each creation inspires a variety of deep thoughts about personal growth, mental health, an appreciation for nature, conservation, and oftentimes politics.

“The centerpiece of my current collection is a 911 VICTIMS memorial and SURVIVORS tribute statement piece ONE HUNDRED PERCENT because it was a tragedy of violence by terrorists that we are ALL 100 % AGAINST and one of the few things we all do agree on,” Stanchi says.

Ken Stanchi says he has been a member of Arts of the Inland since 2014, and is a member of the AOI Barron Park House Gallery Board Committee. He even won First Place recognition for his sidewalk chalk art at the 2nd Annual Wharf Walk, right here in our own LaBelle, and has participated in the Arts of the Inland Art & Music Festival at Barron Park. He has been involved in many aspects of the arts all of his life. Here in South West Florida, he designed sets for Gulf Coast Opera Company’s 1999 production of “Pirates of Penzance,” and stage managed the show at the Alliance for the Arts Fould’s Theater, as well as at Cape Coral Cultural Theater. Then, in 2000, he designed the set and stage managed “Carousel” for GCOC Production at CCCT.

Ken has had several of his works of Art and Sculptures juried into Art Shows at Big Arts Gallery; Alliance for the Arts; and was one of 33 Southwest Florida Artists juried into Cello Bennett’s Inaugural Art Exhibition, “Embracing the Arts in Southwest Florida,” at SWFCF, showing two of his watercolors from October 5, 2013 – August 20, 2013.

Since then, Ken has been using his talent to design and paint sets and marquees for Firehouse Community Theater productions and creating spectacular pieces of 2D and 3D art, many of which are often displayed at the Barron Park House Gallery at 471 N. Lee St. Stanchi will be the featured artist at the Barron Park House Gallery in January 2020, and I for one cannot wait to see what he comes up with for that show!