Calumet College of St. Joseph is proud to announce the upcoming exhibit, “ColorPlay by Leon Sarantos”. The exhibit will run from May 26 through June 19th. A reception will be held in the Bernard Gallery on the 2nd floor of Calumet College of St. Joseph on Wednesday, June 3rd, from 4:30 to 6:30. The public is welcome to attend.
Mr. Sarantos was born in Indiana and now lives in Chicago. He spent his boyhood in Midland, Michigan. There he admired the many beautiful buildings designed by Alden B. Dow, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright. This inspired Leon to become an architect, but he always made time for art as well. He graduated from the College of Arts and Architecture at the University of Michigan. He studied art at the the Hyde Park Art Center and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
His paintings are inspired by his love of color - color swirls over the canvas, with strong, lively brush strokes. Although he often creates abstract paintings, he also combines architecture and art by painting cityscape scenes. He lives near the University of Chicago and enjoys painting the Gothic buildings on campus. He also creates figurative art, landscapes and still life paintings.
Leon has exhibited his art in galleries and venues throughout the area including: South Shore Arts in Munster, Paul Henry’s Art Gallery and White Ripple Gallery in Hammond, as well as CornerStone Gallery and Studio 659 in Whiting. His art has also been displayed in Chicago venues, such as Hyde Park Art Center, Studio Oh and Zhou Brothers Art Center.
He has won several awards and honors, including Best of Show at CornerStone Gallery, and First Prize at the Beverly Art Center in Chicago. Most recently his landscape, “Winter Woods,” received an Honorable Mention at the Indigenous Landscapes exhibit at the Indiana Welcome Center. He is a juried member of the Union Street Gallery Guild. He is also the Gallery Director at CornerStone Gallery. His art is in private collections nationally from coast to coast, as well as internationally in London and Moscow.
For information regarding the exhibit, please contact Martin Martinez, Bernard Gallery curator at 473-4384 or mmartinez@ccsj.edu. Calumet College of St. Joseph is a private, Catholic institution of higher learning located at 2400 New York Avenue in Whiting, Indiana. Sponsored by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, the college lives out a commitment to social justice through education and community service. Currently serving approximately 1,300 students, the college has provided access to education for students of the Calumet Region since 1951 and offers Associate, Bachelor’s and Master’s programs.