(Worcester, MA (October 5, 2004)—An exhibition of more than 40 works including oil paintings and furniture by local artist Aldo Pistidda will be on view at the Bijou Cinema Gallery in Worcester, MA, from October 1 through the 31st, 2004. Aldo Pistidda: A 30 Year Retrospective is the artist’s first show, spanning 30 years of intensely personal work from a distinguished restorer of furniture.

The show was organized and curated by Matthew Griffin, a student of Pistidda’s, who was influenced by Boston painter David Addison Small’s show at the Harbor Art Gallery at UMASS Boston in 1999. The 20-year retrospective featured paintings of Matthew’s father, John J. Griffin III, and made an indelible impression on Matthew who has been an apprentice of Mr. Pistidda for three years and was a student of Small’s. “I can think of no greater honor than that of presenting a show of my master’s works to the public for the first time,” said Griffin. “This 30 year retrospective will finally satiate the curiosity of Aldo’s long-time customers and friends.”

Pistidda’s impressionistic and modernist-influenced paintings encompass a variety of genres. Playful creatures and fantastical animals inhabit surrealistic backdrops. These creatures are featured in religious themes and works about love. His work also includes portraits of friends and family as well as serene landscapes and still life.

For over 40 years, Mr. Pistidda’s work as a furniture restorer has gained him a prestigious world-wide following. After over 10 years of training in Italy honing his craft, he opened his first shop on the Via Ripeta in Rome. Several more years of hands-on restoration and conservation in New York City, at Antique Restorations, led him to open his second shop, Décor Aldo in 1982 in Worcester, MA, where he currently resides.

A reception for the show will be held on Saturday, October 9, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. and will be open to the public.

The Bijou Cinema Gallery is at 110 Front Street, Worcester, MA. The Gallery is located in the Worcester Common Outlets, at the junction of Foster Street and Worcester Center Boulevard. The Cinema can be reached at (508) 757-0900.

Hours: Mondays and Tuesdays: Closed; Wednesdays – Fridays: Open at 5:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays: open at 11:00 a.m.