Donald Gerola grew up in New Jersey fascinated with applied science. Later Gerola studied Physics at the University of Dayton, Ohio and went to become a full time artist.
Through a life commitment to live as an artist Gerola has developed sophisticated bodies of work for over three decades. Throughout his studio career in Englewood, NJ and New York City and today in Pawtucket, RI, Gerola actively sold and presented his productions in solo. From supergraphics to fresco paintings he went on to build an imposing collection of steel sculptures from the monumental, kinetic in the modernist tradition to smaller works that enlighten the environment and the onlookers alike amid urban and private spaces, outdoor and indoors, always pure in their forms as well as their meanings.
Donald Gerola is among those artists who see public art as a partnership between imagination and reality as a gift to adorn cities and landscapes that include nature and historical legacy.
Steel is a heavy medium, but his designs probe lightness, extravagantly removing much material.
Each piece remains substantial; few weigh less than 100 lbs. and require cranes to move.
They’re massive to endure yet are never oppressive, find that aesthetic cross between architectural strength and organic vulnerability.
All are cut from high quality native hot rolled steel plate, then blasted – left to natural rust or painted in high-tech enamel finishes. The process to bring existing structural welds to a flawless casting appearance is Gerola’s steel signature and takes countless hours of fill-welding, dangerous grinding and labor intensive sanding.
Built entirely from assembled steel plates, cut or rolled and welded in such a perfected craft by the artist himself that each sculpture seems to be casted from a single metal element.
The surface of each “steel story” is as smooth and elegant as it’s core casted from heavy unyielding steel giving an indestructible strength to a gracious cohesive sculpture.
Selected Works & Exhibitions
- 2013 Exchange Terrace lnstallation, Downtown Providence, Ongoing Project approved by City and Department of Art, Culture + Tourism, Providence, RI
- 2012 Weaving the Blackstone River at Slater Mill. Public, Art Installation, City of Pawtucket, RI
- 2011 Monumental Garden Weaving, Rhode Island Flower and Garden Show, Providence, RI.
- 2010 Four Sculptures on Hope Street, Public Installation: Providence, RI
- 2009 Pinwheel: Monumental Kinetic Steel Sculpture, Exchange Terrace, City of Providence, RI
- 2009 Monumental Sculpture: Winner Harbor Arts International Large Scale Works Competition, Boston, MA
- 2009 Finalist for a gateway monumental sculpture, Boston Public Library, Mattapan, MA
- 2009 Debbie D: Monumental Kinetic Steel Sculpture, 10.000 lbs, Courthouse Center for The Arts, Kingston, RI
- 2009 Steel Grasses: Featured Artist, Rhode Island Flower and Garden Show, Providence, RI
- 2008 Eiffel Tower: Monumental Sculpture, City of Pawtucket acquisition for one of the nation’s oldest house, circa 1686
- 2008 Struggle in Steel: half-hour documentary on Donald Gerola, Public Broadcasting Corporation, PBS New England
- 2008 Hummingbird: Monumental Kinetic Sculpture, Public Art Installation, Town of Hyannis, MA
- 2008 Twelve Steel Sculptures: Installation, Cape Cod Art Association, Barnstable, MA
- 2008 Three Steel Sculptures, Hirshorn Re.action Competition: Annmarie Gardens & Arts Center, Solomons, MD
- 2008 Aerometer, Fire Dragon with weaving, and Wind Auger: Monumental kinetic installation, National Seashore, Cape Cod North Truro, MA
- 2008 Monumental Steel Sculpture: On loan, National Memorial site of Dr. Seuss, Springfield Art Museum, MA
- 2007 Wind Rotor: Monumental Steel Kinetic Sculpture, on loan, Slater Mill Historic Site, Pawtucket, RI
- 2007 Eight Sculptures: Featured Artist, Guest Speaker, Rhode Island Flower & Garden Show, Providence, RI
- 2007 Invited Guest Speaker: Discussion on Public Art, Providence Rotary Club, Providence, RI
- 2006 On the Move: Biographical Article, Providence Monthly, December 2006
- 2006 Owner of Art Gallery, Exhibition of Paintings and Intimate Sculptures, Newport, RI
- 2006 Sculptures Exhibition: New York Art Expo, New York City, NY
- 2005 Twelve Steel Sculptures: On loan, Sussex County Community College, Newton, NJ
- 2004 Water Street Sculpture Garden: Owner, designer, builder, Milford, PA. Artist life project of the Historic 1860 Upper Mill gatekeeper’s house, pond and waterfall: Four buildings, 3-acre garden, twenty sculptures and weaving (2004-1990)
- 1988 Donald Gerola: A Portrait of the Artist, Karin Mullane, New Jersey Goodlife Magazine
- 1978 Gerola Art Galleries: Owner/Artist, Manhattan, NY and Edgewater, NJ, 4,000 sq.ft.,paintings, mobiles, and fountains (1978-1990)
- 1985 Space Receptor: 25′ x 10′ x 6′, Multi Media Mobile Installation, fiber, aluminum, steel, wood, glass and sand; Center Piece, New York International Art Exposition, New York City, NY
- 1983 Multi Media Mobile Installation: Center piece 30′ x 8′ x 4′, fiber, aluminum, steel, wood, glass and sand, International Art Exposition. Washington, DC
- 1980 Ninth Volume Water Sculpture, Two on the Town, Televised coverage of first computer controlled-water sculpture in the U.S. CBS and New Jersey Public Television
- 1980 The Ninth Volume: First computer controlled-water sculpture in the U.S. 25′ x 12′ Multi media consisting of concrete, wood, steel, bronze, copper, high-tech electronics, lasers and fire
- 1980 Finalist, International Water Sculpture Competition, New Orleans, LA
- 1978 Supergraphic Mural: Underwriters Laboratories, Melville, Long Island, NY
- 1977 Supergraphic Mural: Hayworth Office Systems, New York, NY
- 1977 Supergraphic Mural: Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, Capitol Hill, Washington, DC
- 1977 Sand Fresco Paintings: Permanent collection of Schering-Plough Corporation, Madison, NJ
- 1976 Supergraphic Mural: St. Johns Lutheran Church, Clifton, NJ
- 1974 Supergraphic murals and Sand Fresco Paintings: Private clients, NJ, NY (1974-1978)
