Eastern student from Stratford curates exhibition on her artist-grandfather

Art major Kate Moss honors the late Tom Gargiulo

by Lissie Craig

Willimantic, CT (06/10/2025) — The Art Gallery at Eastern Connecticut State University is currently presenting a colorful array of mixed-media art by Tom Gargiulo (1938-2022). Curated by his granddaughter, junior art major Kate Moss of Stratford, "Tom Gargiulo: The Art Father and Connecticut Modernist" spans 60 years of Gargiulo's personal experience. The exhibition opened on May 27 and will be on display until June 23.

With the help of her family, Moss was able to access and sort through Gargiulo's hundreds of works and settled on 41 to display based on the pieces' color palette and context. The exhibition transitions Gargiulo's color spectrum from his bold self-portraits to his black-and-white coastal landscapes.

"My mom was a huge help in going through my grandpa's artwork and transporting it here," said Moss. "It took two to three days to gather everything into the gallery." She arranged the pieces with the help of Art Gallery Director Julia Wintner.

"What began as a general interest in art has grown into a deep curiosity about curating exhibitions and art management," said Wintner of Moss. "I hope that this exhibition honors Moss's grandfather's legacy, and the gallery takes great pride in supporting our students as they explore and develop their passions."

Gargiulo: The Artist

"My grandpa started his art journey at the University of Bridgeport and went on to win national awards in both art and art education," said Moss. "Beyond his life as an artist, he was a devoted educator and an advocate of the arts."

According to Moss, her memories of her grandfather's spirited paintings in his house, particularly his makeshift art studio in his basement, inspired her to do more with her own artwork and pay tribute to his legacy through the exhibition.

"My grandpa was a quiet person, but his work carries the same expressive and modernistic spirit it did when I was little," she said. "When visiting my grandfather growing up, I was drawn to his use of vibrant colors. That inspired me as I got older and started making my own art."

Moss explained that a lot of Gargiulo's art reflects major events in his life, notably when he and Moss's grandmother were living in Florida during Hurricane Katrina. This correlation is indicated by paintings of boats and depictions of the storm's aftermath.

"He made prints of humanity in masks during COVID-19, and pieces reflecting the late 1970s teacher protest in the Bridgeport school system," said Moss. "He also made mixed-media prints following personal events such as a biking accident."

Curating the Exhibition

Moss described the curating process not only as a look into her grandfather's life, but an experience which has culminated in her pursuing multiple creative paths and topics.

"I've been noticing some parallels in my artwork to his," said Moss. "He did a lot of self-portraits, which is something I've really been getting into as of late."

Showcasing her grandfather's art also informed her of a possible career direction: "I also really wanted to get into curation, and this experience has helped me decide on this as a potential path to take after graduation."

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Eastern Connecticut State University is the state of Connecticut's public liberal arts university, serving upwards of 4,000 students annually on its Willimantic campus. A residential campus offering 41 majors and 68 minors, Eastern offers students a strong liberal arts foundation grounded in a variety of applied learning opportunities. Ranked among the top 25 public institutions in the North by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-25 Best Colleges ratings, Eastern has also been awarded 'Green Campus' status by the Princeton Review 15 years in a row. For more information, visit www.easternct.edu.

Media Attachments

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Kate Moss in Art Gallery 1

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Kate Moss in Art Gallery 2

Kate

Moss

Art
Stratford, CT

Eastern Connecticut State University