For over a decade, Francesco Lo Castro has been South Florida’s thoroughfare to the national New Contemporary art scene, as both a respected artist and curator of intrepid art exhibitions.
Lo Castro was born in Catania, Italy in 1976, raised in Germany, and transplanted to South Florida during high school, where he immediately became immersed in the local graffiti, punk and hardcore music scenes. Fueled by a strong family-instilled work ethic and the do-it-yourself attitude of the underground youth movement, Lo Castro quickly found his foothold in the creative arts, making a name for himself as a painter with diverse technical range and a strong social message.
In 2006, he curated the “We”ll Make A Lover Of You” Exhibition at the Art Center / South Florida, the first Pop Surrealist showcase to be sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. With over 40,000 visitors, the exhibition shattered the Art Center”s previous attendance record, remaining the most successful exhibition in the institution”s history to date.
Lo Castro is CEO & Founder of Pop Art Studios Inc., a creative services company, commercial art & design studio and launch pad for Lo Castro”s diverse art projects. He is also the co-founder of the VANGUARD Art Fair, which merged with AQUA Art Fair in 2009. VANGUARD is the first art fair of its kind to emphasize emerging trends in the New Contemporary movements of Pop Surrealism and Street Art.