Facci, Domenico

Domenico Facci (1914-1994) worked in New York City and was known primarily for commissioned portraits and public sculpture, and for holding leadership positions in several arts organizations based in New York City.

Domenico (Aurelio) Facci was born in Hooversville, Pennsylvania on February 2, 1916, where his father, Antonio, was a coal miner. His mother was Grace Facci. Domenico was one of ten children, and when he was ten years old the family moved to Brooklyn, New York.

Facci won a scholarship to Roerich Academy (Master Institute of United Arts) where he studied under Pietro Montana and Louis Slobodkin and graduated in 1936. In 1937 he opened his first studio on Fifth Avenue at 15th Street and was immediately commissioned to do several large pieces for the 1939 World's Fair.

Many public and private commissions were executed by Facci in the New York City area, among them: carvings on the tower façade of St. Thomas's church, St. Rita sculpture in Long Island City, lobby for American Express building, 100 feet of plaques on the Brooklyn Bridge walkway, and bronze sculptures for PS 147 in the Bronx. Facci was also awarded portrait commissions of eminent public figures including: Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Bob Hope, Lowell Thomas, James Kilpatrick, and Lynn Redgrave, some of which were executed on live television and at other events. Some important commissions in other locations were: a cartouche for bronze doors for St Peter's Cathedral, Philadelphia, PA; exterior bronze for the Court of Appeals Building, Annapolis, MD; St. Paul sculpture, Fredericksburg, MD; Eagle War Monument, Rome, NY; and St. John Divine in Sewanee, TN.

Facci was the recipient of numerous important awards, including the Proctor Award from the National Academy of Design, the Richards Award from the Allied Artists, and the Liskin Award from the Knickerbocker Artists. He was also elected a fellow of the National Sculpture Society. Solo exhibitions of Facci's work were presented at the Silvermine Guild of Artists and the Village Art Center. He participated in group shows at the Whitney Museum of American Art and the National Academy of Design, Jersey City. Facci exhibited annually at numerous New York artists organization, including the Village Art Center, Knickerbocker Artists, and at the Silvermine Guild.

Facci's work is included in the permanent collections of the Florida Southern College, in Lakeland, FL, the Norfolk Museum, VA, and the Polk Museum, FL.

As an active member of numerous professional artists organizations, Facci served as the president of the Village Art Center for a decade, president of the Audubon Artists for 11 years, and president of the American Society of Contemporary Artists. In addition, he was an officer in other organizations, including: Knickerbocker Artists, Allied Artists, New Jersey Painters and Sculptors, National Sculpture Society, Silvermine Guild of Artists, New York Artists' Equity Association, Sculptors League, Salmagundi Club, National Academy of Design, and the American Society of Contemporary Artists.

In addition to his work as a sculptor, Facci was also a teacher. Between 1939 and 1972, he served on the faculty of City College of New York, the Academy of Art at Florida Southern College, Ridgewood Village Art School in New Jersey, and the Craft Student League in New York.

Domenico Facci was married to Penelope (Felicia/ Penny) Facci and they had a son, Robert. Domenico Facci died on November 6, 1994.

From the guide to the Domenico Facci papers, 1914-1995, (Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution)