Hundreds of people commute past one Pleasantville native’s work without knowing it. Joseph Cavalieri, 63, is the face behind the iconic “North, South and Home” stained glass artwork that casts a nostalgic glow over the Philipse Manor Station in Sleepy Hollow. Although this may be one of Cavalieri’s most recognized pieces by locals, his other projects have been featured and even permanently installed in places far beyond the Hudson Valley.
Cavalieri has been working with stained glass for 20 years after first graduating from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan with a degree in graphic design, before achieving a successful career in the magazine industry. It was only after he took a painting class in Brooklyn that he decided to test out what he could do if he created his own studio. Since then, Cavalieri has had exhibitions not only throughout New York, but in Ohio, Nebraska, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Colorado, and even internationally in Finland, Brazil, India and Scotland. Cavalieri also frequently teaches classes in stained glass art, and has taught over 50 workshops in the U.S., Israel, South America and Europe.
“I never expected to be traveling with my artwork.” Cavalieri said when asked how it felt to have his influence spread so far.
New Yorkers may also recognize Cavalieri’s work permanently at the Museum of Art and Design in Manhattan, and at the Dixon Place Lounge which is free and open to the public within the Dixon Place Theater, with a piece right by the entrance.
Most recently, Cavalieri spent two weeks at an artist residency program provided by the Bethany Arts Community in Ossining where he worked on his Endora Night Lights. These personable creations highlight the beloved character Endora from the nostalgic Bewitched series which stopped airing in 1972. This kind of work isn’t new to Cavalieri and is actually one of his specialties. Some of Cavalieri’s most iconic works follow the same humorous theme, with his work based on The Simpsons show being some of his favorites.
Cavalieri described a time when he got a call from one of the original writers of The Simpsons as being a highlight of his career. His glass series, Missing Episodes gained traction after he took characters from The Simpsons and crucified them in glass alongside well-known sacred references. After an exhibition in Brooklyn, Cavalieri got the surprise of his life.
“He came over and saw all the work, and he bought the very first Simpsons I made that has Bart and Lisa on the cross. The really good thing is, he brought it back to L.A. and it hangs in the offices where they actually write the Simpsons. I thought ‘That’s the perfect place for it to be.’ He really liked it because he said he never gets to kill off The Simpsons, but I did it in stained glass, so he appreciated that.” Cavalieri said.
Although there are a few notable stained-glass creations throughout different local churches, such as the Chagall and Matisse glass in the Union Church of Pocantico Hills, Cavalieri remembers going to church as a child at the Holy Innocents Church in Pleasantville and not being able to pay attention to the sermons because he was so distracted by the beauty of the stained glass windows around him.
“It’s magical with all the colors. At the same time, the glass is blocking the outside world, so there’s two different meanings to it. It’s beautiful, but you’re also not seeing what’s outside.” Cavalieri said.
Cavalieri and his partner are in the process of moving to a small commune in France called Vouleme, where he will be able to focus on his work surrounded by nature as opposed to the hecticness of Manhattan, where he has spent most of his life. Still, Cavalieri will be visiting the U.S. frequently in order to teach his classes, and will continue to take commissions, this time inspired by the French countryside.
To learn more about Cavalieri and the classes he will be teaching on adding imagery to stained glass, you can visit his website.
