Carol Cirillo Stanley Studio

Voyager Magazine, Rising Stars, March 4, 2024.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carol Cirillo Stanley.

Hi Carol, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. 
As a kid growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I won some school art awards that allowed me to travel once a week to the Pittsburgh Art Museum to take art classes. This was a big deal to me, and in my young mind, it meant that I was an “artist!” 

Fast forward many years, two kids and many states later, I began to feel like a caged lion who needed to create. Which medium? My mind raced from painting to pottery and back again. I began to experiment by taking ceramics at Rochester Institute of Technology! Maybe this was it? I loved the magic of throwing pieces on the wheel in the cold studio flanked by corn fields, but life moved on to California. One day, visiting Santa Barbara, I walked into a used camera shop with my savings and purchased my first Nikon film camera. The feel of it was like I had finally come home. My focus, both figuratively and literally, was present! 

I studied darkroom mechanics, learned how to develop film, and worked in a darkroom. I was in awe as the photographs emerged from the chemicals. For years, I kept shooting, developing, and kept a day job! I learned the fine art of photography by studying great masters like Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keefe, Minor White, and Imogene Cunningham. 

As my photography practice grew, I began to practice yoga and noticed that as I became more centered, so did my work. I mention yoga because this practice has truly influenced my life and my work, as I am now a 500 RYT yoga instructor teaching weekly to empower others to find their path. Both the physical practice and the philosophy have shown me the way to inner calm and focus. 

During this time, I was working full-time as the Director of Student Affairs at the University of California, Irvine. So, after work hours, I would begin my work in the darkroom, which was in a downstairs bathroom converted each night! 

I began exhibiting my work at the Orange County Fair, where the competition was tough. I was fortunate to win awards and began to have collectors. I moved on to gallery exhibitions in Santa Ana, Laguna Beach, and Costa Mesa. 

After several years, my interest began a shift due to a love affair… with Los Angeles! 

I commuted weekly to the city and walked the streets to get a sense of the place. I found excitement in the air! People were optimistic, friendly, anxious to help, and anxious to be photographed! I opened a small studio on 7th in the heart of the Fashion District and began to photograph the city and its people. I knew absolutely no one, but after a bit of time, I began to recognize people on the street! I met the Director of the Downtown Art Walk, Qathryn Brehm, who introduced me to the art scene in LA and is now a dear friend. In those days, the galleries met monthly with Art Walk to discuss art happenings in our area. We would work together to make LA an art destination. The excitement on Art Walk night was contagious, and the streets were packed with art lovers. 

It was hard to break into a new town and a new art scene. But I was committed. Slowly, I began to get to know people. Lesson number 1: Meet people and let them know who you are and what you do. Lesson number 2: Always be a student. I was older than most, but I had so much to learn. I knew nothing about the culture or the norms of the art world in LA. Lesson #3: Swallow your pride and your fear – it can be discouraging, but plod on. 

One afternoon, I discovered the Fine Arts Building on 7th Street. I was stunned by its beauty and immediately knew I wanted to show my work there. So, I visualized! I had been working on a portfolio with a mannequin for whom I made clothing out of found materials using the city as her backdrop. I felt that she, Lala, needed to introduce herself to LA! I contacted the manager of the building, whose name incidentally was Lala! She accepted the show, and Lala became a star for a month in the Fine Arts Building! And now, I am getting ready to show my work there for the 3rd time thanks to the curator of the Fine Arts Building and dear friend, Lisa Ames! See, it can happen, just visualize it! 

In the meantime, I passed another wonderful gallery on Spring Street, the Gloria Delson Contemporary Arts Gallery, and I again visualized showing my work there. The next time I passed by, it was open, and I ventured in. I met the gallery director, Petra Wright, whom I instantly adored. She was welcoming and suggested that I return with some of my work. I returned, and she accepted it! Today, some 12 years later, she represents my work and has shown it many times with several solo shows! 

I’d like to mention also that I am currently the Vice President of the International Association of Art Los Angeles. The IAA-USA National chapter began in Los Angeles in 2016. Nationally, Los Angeles-headquartered IAA/USA operates as the central entity governing all U.S. activities of the Association. We are in partnership with UNESCO and work hand-in-hand with IAA/AIAP (International Association of Art/ Association Internationale des Arts Plastiques) based in France. 

If you are an artist reading this, to find out more, please visit our website, www.iaa-usa.org 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Pursuing art is not an easy path for anyone. Working full-time, being a single mom, completing a master’s degree, and just dealing with life often takes priority, but an artist at heart will find a way to create. It may not be your life’s work, but it will keep your hand in the paint jar so to speak. I love to see people empowered and will do all I can to help. The tough job is to stay the course. The grey clouds can descend, but light is always behind that cloud. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
If I were to describe my work, I think it is best said by this statement used as my personal artist statement: My subjects vary according to whim, yet my focus remains the same: to communicate a sense of story, mood, nuance, design, and societal meaning in life’s moments through still life objects, landscapes, both urban and rural and unexpected pieces of life not often “seen” due to their everyday appearance in our lives. Every piece of my work depicts a story; the art of the story is my art. No matter what the portfolio, a story is always present. 

Today I have over 50 portfolios which range in scope from still life, mannequins, fashion, cityscape and landscapes. 

I am a self-taught photographer who has been practicing for over 40 years! I love to work in black and white as it gives such an expression of drama to each piece, yet color is perfect for the fashion and street work. 

I think one of my most exciting moments was being selected to have my work hung in Pershing Square. The year was 2021, and the subjects were black and white portraits of flowers. It was overwhelming to me to have this honor to be where so many people could view the work as public works. It was a great honor and one I will never forget. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Yes, don’t give up. Remember that if you just do it, day in and day out, you will find your confidence and your voice. 

Lesson number 1: Meet people and let them know who you are and what you do. Lesson number 2: Always be a student. I was older than most, but I had so much to learn. I knew nothing about the culture or the norms of the art world in LA. Lesson #3: Swallow your pride and your fear – it can be discouraging, but plod on. 

And remember, art is personal and subjective. Not everyone will love your work, but if you do, that is what matters. Very few artists can survive on their artistry alone, so I think a day job is pretty important, then if you are able to supplement with your artwork, that is great, but the consistency of a job is very important. 

Contact Info:

·       Website: www.carolcirillostanley.com

·       Instagram: @ctsphoto