Vassilios Giavis
Vassilios "Bill" Giavis (born December 21, 1929) is a painter and illustrator of historical sites, diners, people, maritime scenes, cityscapes, and landscapes. He currently resides and works in Lowell and has a studio in the Brush Gallery in downtown Lowell.
Vassilios Giavis | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 21, 1929 Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | February 12, 2019 Lowell, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Painter |
| Website | The Brush Gallery |
His detailed, realistic paintings of scenes throughout the New England area and Greece are rendered in watercolor, oil and acrylic. Once Giavis has an idea for a painting, it becomes one of a theme series: diners, city halls, people, historic buildings, etc. The focus of one theme produced a series of paintings revolving around the life of Lowell born author, Jack Kerouac: birthplace, church, high school, various hangouts, and his memorial park.
Early life and education
Vassilios Giavis was born on December 21, 1929 in Lowell, Massachusetts.
After high school, Giavis earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Massachusetts College of Art and Design[1] in Boston, MA and then served in the United States Army for two years.
Published work
Giavis’ published work includes “The Tyrants,” cover art and illustrations, Ithaca Press; United States Department of the Interior, Preservation Pan Book cover art, Lowell Historic Preservation Commission; “Doctor Sax,” cover art, Grove Press; Lowell General Hospital Annual Report cover art and poster; New England Roadside Delights, by Will Anderson, page 67;[2] Monuments and Memory, by Martha Norkunas, frontispiece, published by Smithsonian Institution Press of Washington and London;[3] and “Brunet’s Lunch / Lowell 1988,” Museum News, September / October 2003, “Diners Still Cooking in the 21st Century,” page 15.
Exhibitions
His Exhibitions include the Masters Invitational Exhibition at the Copley Society of Art in Boston, MA; the Brush Gallery in Lowell, MA three of which were solo exhibitions; the New England Folklife Center in Lowell, MA; the Museum of National Heritage in Lexington, Massachusetts; the Boott Cotton Mill Museum in Lowell, MA; the Museum on Transportation in Brookline, MA; the Lumina Gallery in New York City; the Parker Gallery and Whistler House Museum of Art in Lowell, MA; the John Hancock Tower in Boston, MA; the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, MA; the Boston City Hall in Boston, MA; Culinary Archives and Museum at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island (five year exhibit; 2003 to 2008).
Television appearances
Television specials featuring Giavis are Good Morning America, CBS; Evening Chronicle, Boston NMC; “The Acre Experience,” and “Dining in Lowell.”
Awards
Awards earned by Giavis include the Copley Society’s Copley Master; John Singleton Copley Award; Best Work on paper; Community Teamwork, Inc. Local Heroes Award[4] and numerous other Honorable Mentions.
Memberships
His memberships include the Copley Society in Boston, MA; the Boston Printmakers in Boston, MA; and the British Art Gallery in Lowell, MA