Icarus, Phaethon, Minotaur, Lucifer Painting

dacquistapace@gmail.com 951.733.3152 Acquistapace (Ah - kwees - ta - pah - chay) Italian “One who acquires peace” David Acquistapace is a contemporary painter who lives and works in Saint Louis, Missouri. A native of California, his intense colors and ephemeral lighting pay homage to the unique atmosphere and light of the California coast. An artist friend said to him upon moving to Saint Louis, “It will be interesting to see how the Midwest affects your palette." Three years later he wrote to his friend and said, “It has been quite interesting to see how my palette has affected the Midwest." Acquistapace began freelancing in the early 1980’s after earning his B.A. In Art. He worked in Los Angeles and Orange County as a designer, illustrator, and fine artist for more than a decade, accumulating many awards and commissions for his work. His client list included companies such as Disney, the U.S.A. Track and Field Team, Long Beach and Glendale Memorial Medical Centers, David C. Cook Publishing, Chariot Publishing, entertainer Donald O’Conner, and advertising agencies in both Los Angeles and Orange County. His illustrations have been published both nationally and internationally. He also showed in solo and group exhibits with his fine art, including the prestigious Laguna Beach Art Festival. He returned to university in 1991, earning both an M.A. in 1995, and M.F.A. in 1998 from California State University Fullerton. It was at this time that he began developing the style and subject matter which he continues to work on today. He was hired in 1999 to develop and oversee the Digital Design & Production Program at College of the Desert, Palm Desert, California. During his tenure he wrote all the curriculum for the program, created both a degree and certificate program, served as Curriculum Chair, and as Academic Senate President. He was voted outstanding faculty of the year in 2006 and retired Professor Emeritus. Acquistapace’s fine art has been shown in both museums and regional venues, including the San Bernardino County Museum of Art in California, the Los Angeles Citywide exhibition in California, the Evansville Museum in Indiana, the Northern National exhibit at Nicole College in Wisconsin, where juror Philip Pearlstein awarded his painting “Minotaur” the Patricia Miller Friebert Award. His painting “California Dreaming” was featured in the California Dreaming exhibit at the Bayfront Gallery in Fort Mason, San Francisco.