On View:
November 19 - January 10, 2027.
A City, Its People and Places
Works by Mike Manente.
monca invites you to join us for the opening reception celebrating
this new exhibition on Friday, November 20, 6 to 8 PM.
Admission to opening reception is free.
About the Artist
The Museum of Northern California Art will be featuring the work of Mike Manente, an experienced artist with a successful career as a pictorial artist in the outdoor advertising industry. Manente moved west from Cleveland, Ohio, to the Bay Area in 1978 and has remained in Oakland, California, ever since, raising a family and pursuing his career alongside his wife, Cindy.
Having painted backdrop scenery for several college productions, Mr. Manente discovered a natural affinity for working in large formats, such as the painted billboards and walls commonly seen along the streets and highways of the Bay Area. From sports stars like Reggie Jackson and supermodels like Christie Brinkley to even the now-infamous “Marlboro Man,” Mike painted them all! His work from this period was featured twice in the San Francisco Chronicle: first in the Datebook section in June 1987 and again in the Sunday Focus magazine in May 1996.
Being a successful pictorial artist was how Mr. Manente earned a living and supported his family. Throughout it all, however, he continued to pursue his own artistic interests, focusing on small plein air pastel and watercolor works throughout the 1980s. In 1991, he started his own sign-painting business, and by the late 1990s, he was able to devote more and more time to pursuing his art and personal vision. During this period, Mr. Manente became a member of the American Society of Portrait Artists in New York City and a certified instructor with the Portrait Institute’s Portrait Clubs of America, also based in New York.
Over the years, Mr. Manente has worked in several studios. Both his former studio in West Oakland and his current studio in Emeryville have been located in gritty, light-industrial neighborhoods. Having grown up in an old “Rust Belt” city like Cleveland, Ohio, Mike naturally connected with the people and places he encountered every day. The work presented here is a testament to his enduring fascination with and love of painting the world around him.
Display Image: Morning Market, by Mike Manenete.
2nd Image: Sheila, by Mike Manenete.
