[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 43 (Wednesday, April 17, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E559]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO SALVATORE GULLA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOSE E. SERRANO

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 17, 2002

  Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. 
Salvatore Gulla, a gifted educator, artist and craftsman who has spent 
his life teaching and sharing. Sal will turn 75 years old on Wednesday 
and will celebrate at a party given by family and friends.
  He is a vibrant, dynamic, and caring man who served on the New York 
City Board of Education for over 30 years. Along with Sal's years of 
educating New York's youth in the field of academia, he has devoted 
much of his life to educating young people in the arts. Sal has 
thoroughly enriched thousands of students throughout the years and 
shaped young people in so many ways. Sal was a significant part of my 
formative years and I was one of those young people that he helped to 
shape.
  Mr. Speaker, Salvatore Gulla is a founding member and Artistic 
Director of the South Bronx Community Action Theatre. Along with Mr. 
Fred Daris, Sal had a vision to introduce the beauty and power of the 
performing arts to South Bronx youth. Through this theatre alone Sal 
changed the lives of many children and young people who never knew that 
the arts could be a part of their lives. When he was not designing 
masterful costumes or directing set constructions, Sal was facilitating 
workshops in performing and visual arts.
  Sal is an authentic and pure artist who celebrates every form of art. 
He has instructed people in painting, drawing, and sculpture in 
conjunction with his involvement in the performing arts. In 1947, Sal 
discovered that a paintbrush became a magic wand in his hands and began 
creating beauty on canvas. He studied at the Art Students League of New 
York under Reginald Marsh, Morris Kantor, and Vaclav Vittacyl among 
others. He also studied at the esteemed Columbia University. Like his 
dynamic personality, Sal's style is eclectic and has spanned many 
artistic genres. His work is both experimental and temperamental and 
demonstrates his courage and ability to dream, attributes that he has 
tried to instill in his students for decades. There is good reason that 
Sal has been referred to as a ``Renaissance man.''
  Salvatore Gulla has had showings of his work as recently as four 
years ago and throughout his career, has had his work on exhibit at a 
number of esteemed galleries throughout New York. Mr. Speaker, at 75 
years of age, Sal's spirit is as robust and contagious as it has always 
been and he continues to be an inspiration to those around him. Sal has 
been a dear friend and advisor for many years. I ask my colleagues to 
join me in honoring Mr. Salvatore Gulla on his 75th birthday.

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