The Massillon Museum will host a free public reception for artist Coty Giannelli on Saturday, January 21, 2023, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Giannelli’s Days with Delsie digital photography exhibition in MassMu’s Studio M will close on January 22, 2023.
A podcast interview with the artist will be posted at MassillonMuseum.org on Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at noon.
Giannelli’s photography has been seen previously in Massillon Museum exhibits: Massillon Tiger Football Boosters and Tiger Legacy: Our Tiger Football Family, both in 2012, and the 2019 Stark County Artists Exhibition, when he was awarded an Honorable Mention.
Giannelli earned the “Rich Mahan Best Student Portfolio” honor in the 2013 Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar. That year he also earned two awards of excellence: “College Photographer of the Year’s Portfolio Category” and “College Photographer of the Year’s International Picture Story Category.” He was honored for “Individual Excellence” by the Ohio Arts Council in 2017 and 2019.
Having lived with his grandmother for much of his life prior to military service, Giannelli moved back in with her when she was 92 and needed help taking care of herself. He made images of her daily life to have as a remembrance of her, and the exhibition, Days with Delsie, evolved over time.
“The daily stress of being a caretaker with little natural support started to get to me,” Giannelli said. “I started dealing with some depression, anger, and guilt issues.” Days with Delsie turned from a celebration of his grandmother’s life to a way to vent about his life as a caregiver. By sharing this intimate view with others who are going through the same thing, he hopes it brings others comfort to know that they are not alone.
The Massillon Museum is grateful for operating support from the Ohio Arts Council, ArtsinStark, and the citizens of Massillon, as well as marketing support from Visit Canton, and the support of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Regular MassMu hours are Tuesday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
MassMu is located at 121 Lincoln Way East in downtown Massillon. A visit is always free and everyone is welcome. Free parking is available on adjacent streets and in nearby city lots. For more information, call 330-833-4061 or visit massillonmuseum.org.
Media Contacts:
Alexandra Nicholis Coon, Massillon Museum Executive Director • 330-833-4061 x111
Emily Vigil, Massillon Museum Studio M Coordinator • evigil@massillonmuseum.org
Margy Vogt, Massillon Museum Public Relations Coordinator • 330-844-1525
