Charles Fazzino and kids collaborate on 3-D art in Glen Cove

Charles Fazzino has taken the idea of pop-up books to a new level. Known as “the master of 3-D pop art,” Fazzino was recently commissioned by the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County, in Glen Cove, to create an exhibit called “Heroes of the Holocaust,” a tribute to those who saved lives during the genocide.
On Dec. 7, Fazzino visited the HMTC to teach a hands-on workshop at which participants helped him recreate his limited-edition piece “After the Darkness,” which was created exclusively for the center.
Fazzino has been drawing and painting scenes of New York City since he graduated from art school. While studying at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan, he would take the bus down to the Lower East Side at lunchtime and eat at one of the iconic Jewish or Italian delis, like Katz’s. After graduating, he began painting the eateries, and attracted a number of Jewish and Italian collectors.
Developing a fondness for busy, colorful artwork, Fazzino created many pieces depicting hectic cultural scenes of the city, which became his signature style. Although he is not Jewish, he has been commissioned by many ethnic groups to depict their lives in New York when they arrived as immigrants. Not only are his pieces bright and energetic, but they are also “pop-ups.”
Fazzino layers and hand-assembles certain features of his pieces, creating three-dimensional works. First, his original painting is silkscreen-printed multiple times on paper of varying weights. Individual features of the piece are then hand-cut with an X-Acto knife, and glued down with a thick silicone glue. His pieces have two to five layers, which creates a lighthearted and visually fascinating effect.

Fazzino’s collection includes not only depictions of Manhattan, but pieces based on his travels all over the world, including Israel. One of his long-time collectors, Andrea Bolender, from Glen Head, is an HMTC board member. Knowing Fazzino’s history with Judaic-themed work, Bolender asked him to create a Holocaust-themed piece. At first, Fazzino was unsure of how to depict such a serious subject in his whimsical style.
“I explained to him that after the darkness came so much light,” Bolender said. “We celebrate Broadway, all of these things in life, but in Holocaust remembrance we celebrate survival. I appreciate that he lent his talent and vision.”
In addition to “After the Darkness,” “Heroes of the Holocaust” features a selection of Fazzino’s Judaic-themed work over the past 25 years. “We tried to depict the heroes of the Holocaust, many of them not Jewish, who sacrificed their lives and their families’ lives to help people that they didn’t know,” he explained. “It’s an interesting perspective for me, not being Jewish, to do this collection … it’s something that anyone can relate to because of the sadness depicting this serious subject, but also what all these heroes did.”
At his workshop last week, children and adults — including two Holocaust survivors — recreated “After the Darkness.” The bottom half of the piece is black and white, symbolizing the darkness of the Holocaust and depicting the European countries who gave people to the Nazis. Running up the bottom center of the work is the infamous railroad track leading to the entrance of the Nazis’ Auschwitz death camp.
The top half of the piece colorfully depicts a tree of light blooming from the HMTC, surrounded by iconic Manhattan buildings on the left and Israel on the right.
The participants first created inspiring drawings and messages of hope on small white squares of paper, which became the frame of the piece. Then, using the pre-cut elements, they helped Fazzino attach the layers in his signature style using the silicone glue.
Michelle Shteingart and her family are fans of Fazzino, and made an hour-long drive from New Rochelle to attend the event. “We saw this posted and we all saw it was a Holocaust event, which for us is very meaningful [because] my grandparents are Holocaust survivors,” Shteingart said. “It was a double event. We got to meet this cool artist who we admire and love, and at the same time his chosen art for today was a Holocaust piece.”
“Charles offered to do this workshop for children on how to produce art similar to what he does … we were just delighted to accept,” HMTC Chairman Steven Markowitz said. “I think for the young people, it’s a chance to explore new forms of art, to learn from a true master artist, and then to get some exposure to what this center’s about and the lessons we’re trying to teach here.”
Fazzino is an official artist of the NFL, the Super Bowl, Major League Baseball, the MLB All-Star Game and the U.S. Olympic team. He has also created artwork for NASCAR, the NHL and the Grammy Awards, and his art is exhibited in hundreds of galleries and museums in more than 25 countries.

The exhibit will be on display until Feb. 2, 2018.