Robert F. DeCaprio Retrospective Exhibition Opens At MVCC

PALOS HILLS, IL -- In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Moraine Valley Community College, an art exhibition opening Jan. 10 will be a reflective look at the man for whom the art gallery inside the center was named.

The Robert F. DeCaprio Retrospective exhibition, which runs through Feb. 1, features a solo accolade to DeCaprio’s passion for art ranging from classic automobiles and European travel to architecture and graphic design. The public is welcome to attend a reception Friday, Jan. 18, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

“I am thrilled this exhibit is happening,” said Maria DeCaprio-Sunta. “My brother was a very modest artist, and if you wanted to see his work, you had to coax him. He got better at all his interpretations as time went on and I can only imagine how good he would have been had he lived longer.”

DeCaprio was 36 years old when he died of injuries suffered after he was thrown from a moving bicycle. Naming the art gallery in honor of Robert was a heartfelt decision made by his parents, Robert and Frances, and his sister.

“We decided because of his love for art and because he was so involved with the college, it would be perfect to donate to the Foundation for the naming rights for the gallery,” his sister said.

DeCaprio, who earned a communications design degree from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, worked for the college from 1975 to 1987. He was a graphic artist in the Moraine Valley’s marketing department, lead designer for the Fine and Performing Arts Center projects, a photography instructor and an audio visual technology artist.

The collection of representational work in the exhibition will feature paintings and photography in the gallery. Posters and other graphic design projects, plus comprehensive private travel journals providing insight into DeCaprio’s creative mind, will be on display in the adjoining atrium.

“From the time he was a child, he loved to draw,” DeCaprio-Sunta said. “You can see in his work how passionate he was. He loved to take photographs and always would wander off with his camera. He saw things no one else would notice.”

The Robert F. DeCaprio Art Gallery provides an opportunity to view locally and nationally recognized arts. Exhibits in the gallery are free to the public and available for viewing Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., as well as during most performances in the Fine and Performing Arts Center. For more information, visit Fine and Performing Arts Center at Moraine Valley Community College or call the Box Office at (708) 974-5500.