Inside Arden
January 2009
An Auto Body Experience — Sculptor gets muffler shop's
help to create library art
Author: Melinda M. Eppler
Inside Arden Staff Writer
Section: Out & About Arden
Recently, local sculptor Joe Scarpa asked for some welding assistance from Robert Marcello and his staff at the SVS Muffler shop on Fulton Avenue.
“I knew right away when I spoke to Joe about this project that we could do a great job,” Marcello says. “We quickly created the work space, and Hank and Valentino, both gifted welders, are doing the rest. I have to say, it’s been a new experience for us at SVS to take an eight-inch pair of metal eyeglasses and transform them into what will be a monumental piece of art at a public library.”
Sacramento resident Scarpa has been a professional artist since quitting his day job in 1998 to embrace a lifelong passion for art. Although not formally trained in the arts, he got his career off the ground with a few encouraging commissions and built up a following with a steady stream of word-of-mouth sales.
His early work focused more on functional art and architectural pieces to gain experience and build a portfolio. As his experience and exposure has grown, he has developed a loyal client base and a reputation that generally allows a free hand artistically. This has given him more time to devote to fifi ne art.
Over the past few years, Scarpa has won a series of public art commissions with progressively larger budgets. They have allowed him to create large sculptures, which he greatly enjoys. For more information about Joe Scarpa, go to jscarpa.com. For more information about SVS, go to sacvolvo.com.
