John Caggiano was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he studied pre-engineering at Brooklyn Technical High School. He received a BA degree from Brooklyn College and an MFA from Pratt Institute, both with honors. His education was supplemented by courses at The Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Studio and Forum of Stage Design in New York City.
He relocated to Rockport, Massachusetts in 1980, drawn to the physical beauty and unique quality of Cape Ann’s light. Aside from participating in up to twelve juried plein air events a year, he travels extensively, both here and abroad, painting on location. This plein aire approach enables him to capture the essence of the time and place that he interprets into his bright and colorful “Impressionistic-realism” style. The work is further enhanced by his use of a palette knife, enhancing the effects of his brushwork. “Painting for me is the bold and dynamic use of color that infuses life into the subject of the painting. Color is the lifeblood of a painting. Nothing stimulates more than its pleasing harmony, whether strongly applied or toned and tranquil.”
Mr. Caggiano has served as President of the Rockport Art Association and Museum and had been a member of its Board of Governors for sixteen years. Both he and his award-winning paintings have made appearances on nationwide television shows such as ABC’s Good Morning America, on It’s All About the Arts, WBNN’s Boston channel and on international TV, Televisione Italiana- RAI. His art has been featured in and graced the covers of numerous books, magazines, and newspapers such as Marine Art: A Gallery of Marine Art, Monhegan: The Artists’ Island, and The Best of Oil Painting, among others. John is a Signature Member of American Impressionist Society, American Society of Marine Artists, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, the Salmagundi Club; also, Academic Artists, Hudson Valley Art, Lyme Art, North Shore Arts, and Rockport Art – Associations. He is also a member of Maine Plein Air Painters, Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, Oil Painters of America, and Outdoor Painters Society where he has received many awards. One of John’s paintings won the inaugural purchase prize for the permanent collection of The Bennington Center for the Arts, (VT), and the Best of Show & Alden Bryan Gold Medal in the “Land and Light” show at the Bryan Memorial Gallery, (VT). More recently, John was twice awarded the Texas Ranchland Award and the Best Architecture Award at En Plein Air Texas; Second Place in the American Waters show at the Lyme Art Association, the Alden Bryan Landscape Award from Academic Artists Association, Best of Show, Members Show from the Outdoor Painters Society, First Place Stobart Foundation Award at the 39th Annual Mystic Maritime International Exhibition, Best Artist Over 65 Award in the 11th Annual Plein Air Salon Competition, and most recently, the Alden Bryan Memorial Award at the 89th Annual Hudson Valley Art Association National Juried Exhibition. PleinAir Magazine featured an artist profile of John in September 2017 and an online profile in OutdoorPainter.com in April. Since then, John has been featured in at least twenty-two other editorial feature articles in both PleinAir and Fine Art Connoisseur Magazines, including the “Snow Days” editorial feature in the March 2022 issue PleinAir Magazine.
John Caggiano has maintained a gallery and studio on Bearskin Neck in Rockport since 1981. He may be found online at JohnCaggiano.com, on Facebook, and Instagram.
