LIVE Magazine Vol 7, Issue #169 Nov 1-Nov 15 2013

16
Michael Fiacco & Archangel Gallery
Art for Sinners and Saints
Michael, the Archangel, appears in Christian, Jewish and Islamic
teachings. He played a role in Milton’s Paradise Lost. Michael is depicted as
a warrior with a shield bearing the banner Quis ut Deus.
Michael Fiacco of ARCHANGEL GALLERY may not be driving Satan to
Hell and may not be posing the question “Who is like God?” but he is part
of the art renaissance of Palm Spring ‘s Uptown Design District. The
Gallery had its origins in Seattle 2010 as the Archangel Art Collective. The
seductive allure of Palm Springs was too great even for this Archangel. Both
gallery and founder moved to the Coachella Valley. “The area, particularly
Palm Springs, just felt right, especially Uptown. The area is thriving, vibrant,
contemporary and relevant. I could not imagine a better place to relocate
Archangel Gallery”, said Michael.
Michael’s own journey to gallerist involved stops as a fashion designer,
interior designer, fabric director, VP of sourcing for London Fog ® and
creator of Liber-Tees Progress Fashions. Liber-Tee is a line of “leftist”
t-shirts with a portion of sales going to support the Human Rights
Campaign.
Photo by Dimitri Halkidis
By Angela Romeo
Philanthropy is very much of Michael Fiacco’s makeup. Michael is also a
supporter of Arts Corp., a non-profit education foundation for children. A
portion of Archangel sales and gallery events are dedicated to Arts Corp.
Michael also supports the PRIDE Foundation’s scholarship fund.
But art is paramount to Michael. “I want Archangel to be in the forefront of
contemporary art. This year the gallery will continue to feature local artists,
both Bret Philpot and Charlie Ciali have an opening in November, as
well as contemporary artists from outside the area. For example, Miguel
Edwards and Franz Szony will be featured this season.”
What type of work attracts Michael’s eye? “I am attracted to work that
is bold. I am the only gallery to represent Karen and Tony Barone. I am
attracted to work that has depth. Look at the work of Eduardo Carriazo and
Alex Kolesar. I am attracted to work with a powerful message, be it political,
iconoclastic, fantastical or just very whimsical. The artists at Archangel
make quite a statement. I am always attracted to work that can stand on its
own. That statement applies to all the artists’ work that is represented by
Archangel Gallery.”
With any gallery, success depends on the art. “This mix of artists is
important for all. It cements our dedication to supporting artist in this area.
It shows we are not static – art can be found everywhere. Art is a collective
endeavor. Great Art will always be found at Archangel,” continued Michael.
Michael even has art planned for his wedding to fiancé, Michael Thorpe.
“We will have a canvas for all our guests to paint on”. With the creativity that
surrounds Michael Fiacco, that canvas will be something to behold.
Owner, Michael Fiacco
and Oliver
Archangel Gallery is located at 1103 North Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA or on the web at
www.archangelgallery.com
Angela Romeo is the producer /host of COLLIDING WORLDS TV and COLLIDING
WORLDS RADIO. For more information visit: www.collidingworldstvandart.com
Colliding Worlds TV is available on YouTube at
www.youtube.com/user/AngelaValenteRomeo
or at Colliding Worlds Vimeo:
www.vimeo.com/collidingworldstv
Colliding Worlds TV broadcasts on KPSE (MY 13 Palm Springs California) Saturdays
at noon and Thursdays at 6:30 am
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