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At 86 years old, local artist Salvatore "Sam" Madia is still producing vibrant works of art in hopes it will make people stop and think.
Madia’s latest art is featured in an exhibit titled "Yesterday and Today: Religious Symbols of the Old Testament," which is showing in the Benedum Gallery of the Monongalia Arts Center until Jan. 30.
The exhibit includes a number of acrylic paintings created by Madia in the last six years, which depict different church symbols on stained-glass windows.
"Some people don’t realize how old those symbols are, and that’s why I painted them," Madia said. "It was information I wanted to put out that some people know and some people don’t, and I wanted to do it my way."
Madia, who studied art history at West Virginia University in the early ’50s, is no stranger to religious art. For the last 15 years, he has depicted the life of Christ using pen, ink, charcoal, oils and acrylics.
Although he has been working on both religious and non-secular works for much of his life, Madia didn’t always have his heart set on expressing his beliefs through painting.
"Once upon a time, I thought I was going to be a civil engineer," he said. "I took a lot of classes in it and everything, but then I ran into a good artist from WVU and followed his advice to go into art education."
He has worked as an art teacher and artist ever since and is content with his decision to do so.
"I don’t regret going into art," he said. "I wish I could have done more, but we always wish for more."
While the MAC has no religious affiliation, curator John Jarvis said the center was happy to display Madia’s latest collection because of the artist’s rich history in Morgantown.
"It’s not a religious show, but it’s an interesting perspective to see that exhibit," Jarvis said. "It’s important to look and see where the roots of art in our community are coming from to understand where we’re going."
Madia, who has donated more than 30 pieces of both religious and non-secular artwork to various institutions around the area, is happy to share his talent with the community.
"I got my education in the great city of Morgantown," he said. "I’ve been very, very lucky and fortunate to be here."
Madia, who has even used his skills as an artist to design his own tombstone, said he has a motto that states, "a lot of people do artwork, but it’s not always a work of art."
He hopes this exhibit, as well as the other works he has completed throughout his lifetime, will help others view him as a true artist.
"Someday, I hope somebody can say, ‘Madia, you really have a work of art there,’" he said.
For more information about the "Yesterday and Today" exhibit or other events happening at the MAC, go to www.monartscenter.com.
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