Edward George “Eddie” Bisone (American, 1928-2016) nationally recognized WNY artist and illustrator known for his abstract, cubist and expressionist paintings. Mediums include: Acrylic, oil, watercolor, mixed media, charcoal, collage.
Bisone’s early education was at the Buffalo Technical High School where he graduated in 1946. He then studied at the Albright Art School of the University of Buffalo (UB) where he graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Drama. After college he served in the National Guard during the Korean War in the 134th Medical Battalion. In the 1960’s, he took graduate studies in art at UB with Seymour Drumlevitch (American, 1923-1989). Afterward, he worked in the speech therapy field, and as a draughtsman on the Peace Bridge project.
From 1988-1996, Bisone resided in Southern California where he worked in restaurants as a head waiter and maître d’ in the evenings, allowing him to paint during the day. During this time he exhibited his paintings in galleries, and won awards and recognition from Art of California, the Berkley Art Center, and the Juniper Gallery/Napa Art Center.
In 1996, Eddie moved back to Buffalo and re-established his relationship with the Art Dialogue Gallery where he volunteered and also exhibited his artwork.
“On Saturdays, Eddie would hold court,” gallery director Donald J. Siuta said.
“As many as a dozen people would sit around the reception desk with him, and there would be a variety of topics, such as art theory, world events and what was happening in the Buffalo art scene. And Eddie usually selected the topics.” Bisone was a member of the Western New York Artists Group and the Buffalo Society of Artists and exhibited internationally and at local galleries and museums around Western New York, such as: The Albright Knox Art Gallery and the Burchfield-Penney Art Center, the Castellani Art Museum, Lewiston, NY and the Artists Group Gallery, Buffalo, NY.
Bisone’s artwork is included in numerous private, public gallery and museum collections including: The Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, NY, Art Dialogue Gallery, Buffalo, NY, the Castellani Art Museum, Lewiston, NY, City of Cypress Collection in California, University of North Dakota, Minot, ND, and the Berkley Arts Association, CA. Eddie Bisone died on Monday June 13, 2016, at the age of eight-seven after a long illness.
In 2011, Western New York photographic artist and author, Leonard W. Kagelmacher, Proprietor of Buffalo Arts Publishing and Photography, Tonawanda, NY, wrote a limited edition book titled,
Edward G. Bisone: Selected Works. The book features over 200 images of paintings, drawings, and collages created by Bisone over a 45-year span. The book was so popular that it sold out in 2012, but Kaglemacher subsequently published a second edition in 2015, which is available for purchase [as of June, 2017] at the link for
Buffalo Arts Publishing.
“The two words that probably describe my interest in creating visual images during the last decade are process and experimentation. Prior to that, my artwork was influenced by the Sturm und Drang movement of the Expressionists. I am also interested in the naiveté of children’s and outsider art.
The initial working of a piece is very often automatic. As the work progresses, more conscious attempts to externalize a feeling or an idea intrude. The process involves adding, subtracting, and altering elements, all in the name of the search. The final result is sometimes totally unrelated to the original conception.”[1] – Edward G. Bisone, 2005
In Bisone’s words, the creation of art work is,
“…a result of a necessity to create - plain and simple.”[2]
Chronology:
1928- Born, November 19, Buffalo, NY.
1946- Graduated from Buffalo Technical High School, Buffalo, NY.
1950- Graduated from the University of Buffalo (UB) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Drama, Buffalo, NY.
Early 1950’s- Served in the National Guard during the Korean War in the 134th Medical Battalion.
1959- March 29-25, exhibited, solo show, paintings included “Winter Landscape”, “Earth Landscape”, “Young Man with a Cloak”, “Green Pears”, “The Black Clock”, and “Waterfall on the Rocks”, Coffee Encores, 343 Franklin St., Buffalo, NY. He worked as a server in upscale restaurants such as the Charter House in Williamsville, NY and at St. George’s Table in Buffalo, NY.
1960- September 21-October 7, exhibited, solo show, “Paintings by Edward G. Bisone”, YWCA Lobby, Buffalo, NY.
1960’s- took graduate studies in art at UB under Seymour Drumlevitch (American, 1923-1989), Buffalo, NY. He worked in the speech therapy field, and as a draughtsman on the Peace Bridge project, Buffalo, NY.
1961- September 16-October 7, exhibited, group show, “Eastern States Art Exhibition”, for the painting “Andalusian Landscape”, Springfield, MA.
1962- June 30-?, exhibited, group juried show, “27th Annual Mid-year Show”, The Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, OH.
1963- February, exhibited, solo show, Queen’s Gallery, Cleveland, OH. April 6-28, exhibited, group show, “53rd Annual Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts Exhibition”, for the painting “Rocky Inscape”, New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT. April 10-23, exhibited, group show (First Prize $100), “4th Art Show”, for the painting “Summer Landscape”, J. Burnham’s Inc. Store & Gallery of Sights & Sounds (for John F. “Jack” Burnham, previously Arthur B. Burnham), 1209 Broadway, Buffalo, NY.
1966- Exhibited, group show, “99th Annual Exhibition of the American Water Color Society”, National Academy Gallery, NYC.
1967- February 9, Eddie taught an oil painting demonstration at the Cheektowaga Creative Arts Guild, Cheektowaga Central High School, Cheektowaga, NY. October 6-November 2, exhibited, solo show, Kenmore ACS Art Gallery, 615 Englewood Ave., Kenmore, NY.
1968- March 24-April 6, Exhibited, group show, “3rd Annual Religious Art Festival”, sponsored by the MacAlpine United Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall, Buffalo, NY. Exhibited, group show (Prize, Tony Sisti Award), “Leisureland Show”, Hamburg, NY.
1969- March 30-April 6, exhibited, solo show, paintings & drawings, Sisti Galleries, Buffalo, NY. November 23?-December 12, exhibited, group show (Honorable Mention), “Holiday Exhibit of the Cheektowaga Art Guild”, Thruway Plaza Office of the Buffalo Savings Bank, Cheektowaga, NY.
1970- February 26-March 22, exhibited, group show, “145th Annual Exhibition”, National Academy of Design, NYC. July 5-26, exhibited, group juried show, “Chautauqua Exhibition of American Art–13th Annual National Jury Show”, NYC. October 25-November 14, exhibited, four-person show, “Edward G. Bisone, Charles Lattuca, Pat Barth and Buz Miranda”, Carlton House Nursing Home, 60 Carlton, St., Buffalo, NY. Exhibited, group show, “16th Annual Drawing & Small Sculpture Show”, Ball State University, Muncie, ID.
1972- -February 13-28, exhibited, group show, “Bits and Pieces”, Kenmore ACS Art Gallery, 615 Englewood Ave., Kenmore, NY. Exhibited, group show (First Prize in Graphics), MacAlpine United Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY. Illustrated a cookbook titled,
Tour the World of Cooking in 15 Minutes, by Sylvain Touati, (Self-published paperback, 1972).
1985- September 14-October 10, exhibited, three-person show, “Three Painters: E.G. Bisone, David Maille and Katherine Simonds”, The Artists Gallery, 30 Essex St., Buffalo, NY.
From 1988-1996- Resided in Southern California where he worked in restaurants as a head waiter and maître d’. During this time he also exhibited his paintings in various galleries.
From 1996-2016- He moved back to Buffalo and re-established his relationship with the Art Dialogue Gallery where he volunteered and also exhibited his artwork.
2002- November 16-December 21, exhibited, group show, “Invisible Archives Vol. 2 Selections from The Collection of Gerald Mead, Part 1”, Hallwalls bar (AKA Barwalls), Buffalo, NY.
2005- November 5-January 1, exhibited, solo retrospective show, “A Life in the Arts: Ed Bisone”, Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, NY. November, exhibited, solo show, Castellani Art Museum, Lewiston, NY.
2012- May 11-August 26, exhibited, group show, “The Artists Among Us II: The Burchfield Penney’s Members’ Exhibition”, Burchfield Penney Art Center, East Gallery and The Project Space, Buffalo, NY. Exhibited, solo show, The Mansion of Delaware, in the Fireside, Billiards and Grand Salons, Buffalo, NY.
2013- December 12-January 31, exhibited, solo show, “In The Abstract”, first show in the new Art Dialogue Gallery (adjacent to its old space), Buffalo, NY.
2016- February 3-March 18, exhibited, solo show, “A California Suite”, Art Dialogue Gallery, Buffalo, NY. June 13, died, at the age of eight-seven after a long illness, Buffalo, NY. September 9-October 7, exhibited, group show, “We Remember”, Western New York Artists Group Gallery, 1 Linwood Ave., Buffalo, NY. November 4, exhibited, group show, “The Gerald Mead Collection”, Gallery Q – Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, 100 College Ave., Rochester, NY. December 7-February 24, 2016, exhibited, group show, “Notable Artists of Western New York 1”, Art Dialogue Gallery, Buffalo, NY.
Exhibited Also: Exhibited in over 100 national juried exhibitions; American Watercolor Society; National Academy of Design; California (to include: Los Angeles); London, England.
Memberships/Associations: Life-member and volunteer of the Western New York Artists Group; Lifetime Exhibiting-member of the Buffalo Society of Artists; American Watercolor Society; Artists Equity Association.
Awards/Honors: Berkley Art Center, Berkeley Art Center, Berkeley, CA; The Juniper Gallery, Napa Art Center, Napa Valley, CA; Tony Sisti Award, “Leisureland Show”, Hamburg, NY, 1968; First Prize in Graphics, MacAlpine United Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY, 1972; First Prize $100, exhibition, “4th Art Show: Sight & Sound”, J. Burnham’s Gallery, 1209 Broadway, Buffalo, NY, 1963.
Collections: The Burchfield Penney Art Center, Buffalo, NY, Art Dialogue Gallery, Buffalo, NY, the Castellani Art Museum, Lewiston, NY, City of Cypress Collection in California, University of North Dakota, Minot, ND, and the Berkley Arts Association, CA.
Publications: Illustrated a cookbook titled,
Tour the World of Cooking in 15 Minutes, by Sylvain Touati, (Self-published paperback, 1972);
Edward G. Bisone, Selected Works, by Leonard W. Kagelmacher, Limited Edition book (Sold out) featuring over 200 images of paintings, drawings, and collages created by Edward G. Bisone over the past 45 years, Buffalo Arts Publishing, April, 2011 (2nd Edition available [as of June, 2017], published June 27, 2015);
La Revue Moderne, Paris, France;
Art Review, magazine, Edward Bisone was one of 24 artists reviewed which included a biographical sketch and an interpretation of his painting, Denison, IA, Fall Issue, 1968.
For additional information on this artist or for other possible examples of Bisone's works, please visit the AskArt link
(Written & compiled chronologically by Mark Strong of Meibohm Fine Arts, Inc., East Aurora, NY, meibohmfinearts.com, sources: Too long to list here and are furnished upon request.)
