Man’s artistic passion leads him to Joliet’s Community Public Art project

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Dante DiBartolo created this life-size bust of Tim Mara, owner of the New York Giants, in oil-based clay. | Submitted photo

Updated: January 31, 2012 8:15AM

Dante DiBartolo, 41, has achieved what many artists only dream of accomplishing: making a full-time living from art.

He is one of the lead artists and project managers at Friends of Community Public Art in Joliet, but various companies seek out DiBartolo for painting, sculpture and mosaic commissions.

In addition, DiBartolo, who also volunteers for haunted houses and has just begun dabbling in filmmaking, is currently assembling a portfolio of his creature sketches, such as aliens and monsters, to pitch to California studios.

“I’m a big movie fan,” DiBartolo said. “I’ve always enjoyed the DVDs that have special features on how the movies were made. Some people have told me I’m good enough to do that, too, so I’m going to contact some companies and see if I can get some work.”

Initially, DiBartolo’s preferred medium was acrylic painting, but work was scarce, so he developed his sculpture skills while working under another artist. From there, DiBartolo assisted with several Friends of Community Public Art pieces, which eventually led to a part-time position with the organization.

“I’m the go-to guy for problem solving,” DiBartolo said. “Some artists don’t know how to use the tools there, so I help with more technical work. If something goes wrong, they call me to fix it.”

DiBartolo prefers acrylics to oils (faster drying time, lower cost), and does fewer fantasy pieces for role-playing gamers than he had in the past, preferring now to concoct them on the computer.

He recently created a mosaic for Little Black Pearl Art and Design Center in Chicago, a group that mentors underserved youth in the city’s South Side, and a series of tables for the kitchen at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

In addition, DiBartolo completed some sculpture work for Chicago Fiberglass Works and has sculpted the pieces for product displays for Enesco Corp. and manufacturing molds for Hasbro, Tomy and R.E. Sculpture Inc.

“It’s pretty cool to go into the stores and see your work on the shelves,” DiBartolo said.

While some artists employ their art to underscore a social message, DiBartolo is happiest when actually creating; the process is more satisfying than the actual result. However, he is proud to participate in something as valuable as public community art.

“A lot of people don’t get the chance to see artwork,” DiBartolo said. “Placing a piece of artwork in a park makes it that much prettier. They get to see how people put effort into a permanent thing, just so people can enjoy it.

For more information, e-mail DiBartolo at dantesculpt@gmail.com or visit him on Facebook at Dante DiBartolo Studios.

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