Patterns in the Palisades: The Pen & Ink Drawings of Peter Fiordalisi

August 13-September 17, 2023

Peter Fiordalisi was born in Union City in 1904 and had a deep connection to Hudson County, living many years in Weehawken. As a child, Peter was inspired after seeing a man painting the New York Harbor. Peter was never without his sketchbook and spent every minute he could drawing and painting. He expressed, “I paint the things I am familiar with, what I have been brought up with, the things I know best.” 

Peter graduated from Mechanics Institute in New York City. Peter worked in a multitude of mediums, including watercolors, oils, wood-cut prints, pen and ink, and pencil drawings. He was profoundly influenced by his environment and frequently drew landscapes, especially the Manhattan skyline.

He received numerous accolades, including the Jersey Journal Award of Graphics in 1959 and in 1972, the Windsor & Newton Award for Watercolors and the Hudson Artist Inc Award for Oil Painting. He was a founding member and president of the Hudson County Artist Guild. Fiordalisi had exhibits in Newark Museum, the state museum in Trenton, Montclair Art Museum, Jersey City Museum, and the Elks Club in Hoboken. He was also an instructor of painting and crafts in the Adult Education Project at Memorial High School in West New York.

Peter died at St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken at the age of 83. While Peter is no longer with us, his work lives on. We are very proud to present a solo exhibition of Peter’s work entitled “Patterns in the Palisades: The Pen & Ink drawings of Peter Fiordalisi,” which opens Sunday, August 13 with a reception from 2pm-5pm. Some works are on loan from Sharon Florio, while others are from the Hoboken Historical Museum collection. We look forward to elevating Peter’s special pen and ink drawings, and educating the public about this marvelous artist and son of Hudson County.