Nick D’Amico, a born-and-raised Glenside resident and owner of Nichelangelo Painting, is an artist—part sculptor, part muralist—who does masonry restoration on the side. He also paints intricate images on cars, football helmets, and windows, and carves just about anything you can imagine from just about any material you can find.
His most recent work is a chainsaw carving from a felled tree in the Meadowbrook section of Abington Township, pictured above. Manley Mincer, the property owner, got wind of D’Amico’s skillset and decided to give him the job.
“I was introduced to him because we were taking a tree down, and I thought there must be something better than grinding things down to a stump,” Mincer said. “So through word of mouth, I found him. I gave him a call, and within about four days he created a masterful piece of art.
“People have been slowing down and taking pictures from the street,” he said.
Mincer noted that D’Amico’s line of work is nearly non-existent in the region, and that the resident artist has multiple finished projects around town, and across various genres, for all to see.
For example, if you’ve been by Roberts Block Restaurant in Glenside, you may have noticed the larger-than-life mural on the side of the building. That’s D’Amico’s.
He’s also painted the mural at Lewis Paint Store on Easton Road, and an additional three murals—including one on the ceiling—inside the Roslyn VFW and two at the North Penn VFW.
If you’ve been inside the men’s room at the Keswick Tavern, you may have seen a painting of the Keswick Theatre on the wall. That’s D’Amico’s, too.
“People kept punching holes in it, and I’m friends with the owners, so I suggested a mural,” he said. “So far, after six of seven years, no one has put their fist through it.”
The jack-of-all-trades is classically trained. A 2007 graduate of University of the Arts in Philadelphia where he was a sculpture major with a focus in stone and metal fabrication, D’Amico additionally spent months in Florence, Italy to continue studying stone and ceramic sculpture. He got plenty of practice carving blocks of marble into works of art while he was there.
“I have artists in my family, and for whatever reason it was very easy for me to take things away and find the good stuff inside of them,” he said. “I never knew I had it in me.”
The idea for his company’s name, Nichelangelo, came from his mother during that time period.
“Most of my work is residential. I’d estimate Mr. Mincer’s tree took me close to 35 hours,” he said. “My company also does historical restoration brownstone, which is a very sculptable stone that comes from Maine, in Philly near Rittenhouse Square.”
More about Nick D’Amico:
Galleries:
- 2009 2424 Studios Gallery Philadelphia, shadow sculptures
- 2008 Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery Philadelphia, 6’0 steel orchid
- 2007 SACI Gallery, Florence, Italy, Stone Woman in Cloth
- 2006 Hamilton and Arronson Galleries, Solmssen Court, Stone Rose
Awards:
- 2012 A Resolution of the Board of Commissioners of Cheltenham Township
- 2012 Cheltenham Township Commissioners Award, Roberts Block Mural
- 2009 2424 Studios Gallery Philadelphia Best Art Installation
- 2007 SACI Gallery Best Marble Display
To hire Nichelangelo Painting, you can call 267.690.5136 or email nichelangelo@gmail.com. You can also visit his website and Facebook page for more information and past projects.
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