Tony DeMartile, the new president of the Lamorinda Arts Council, is shown with one his favorite public art pieces, “Cliffhanger,” by Mark Messenger. He brings a lifelong interest in the arts, plus lots of enthusiasm, to his new position.
Tony DeMartile has only been working in Orinda for the past two years, but his enthusiasm and energy helped him quickly move up the ladder to president of the Lamorinda Arts Council (LAC).
The January meeting was his first in charge of the local organization, which he had heard about from outgoing president Sue Farmer. He was excited to hear from Farmer that there was an arts organization and wanted to see if his skill sets could be of service somehow.
Last October, for example, he volunteered to host a Mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktail) table at the Council’s Art of Mixology October fundraiser in Theatre Square. He and his partner, Guy Gargiullo, jumped right into the role and won an “Audience Favorite” prize for their mocktail, “The Empress.”
But the LAC is more focused on arts than mocktails, and DeMartile’s lifelong interest in creativity will serve him well in his new role.
“When I was 12, I received an SLR (single lens-reflex) camera which began my lifelong passion for photography and visual arts,” he said. “I was in theater classes throughout high school and played clarinet with the Bay Area Wind Symphony.”
He attended California College of Arts and Crafts (now California College of the Arts) and studied photography and painting.
DeMartile lives in Oakland and works in Orinda. A hairdresser for 36 years, he and his life partner Gargiullo own Salon Solé. In 2023, along with Sophia Ho, he and Gargiullo opened Saint Anthony’s Thrift and Home Organizing at 128 Village Square in Orinda, around the corner
from Safeway.
“Last August we hosted a Makers Faire at Saint Anthony’s showcasing the work of five local artists,” said DeMartile.
In the early days as salon owners, the pair hosted art shows on the salon walls every quarter. They also hosted and sponsored art shows for Aveda’s clean water initiative (a plant-based hair and body care company owned by Estée Lauder) and raised over $20K.
Becoming LAC’s next president was only a matter of time.
DeMartile was a member of Pro Arts Open Studios for five years and an exhibiting artist with Emeryville Center for the Arts for three years.
“I have taken art classes at Studio One, Richmond Art Center, The Crucible, Orinda Community Center and Piedmont Adult School to name a few,” he said.
A lifelong learner, he has taken dozens of classes over the years ranging from sewing, crochet and knitting, figure drawing, paper flower making, collage, jewelry construction, sculpture, glass blowing, Polaroid transfers, large format photography and classical guitar.
“I am a member of SFMOMA and the de Young Museum. All of these creative pursuits have sweetened my world view and given me a deeper sense of belonging. I really resonate with the following excerpt from Toko-pa Turner’s book, “Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home.”
“We are taught to respect the slow, attentive piecing together of the life we yearn for. Stitch by stitch, we apprentice the craft. We work in tandem with mystery, feeling its rhythms awaken in our bone-memory.
“As the hands work, the mind is stilled and a greater listening is engaged as we drop down into the deep rhythm of devotion, where the whole world is in communion. The ferns unfurl, the daffodils trumpet, the rosebuds fatten, and the song of creation can be heard.”
DeMartile looks forward to making Lamorinda residents more aware of the incredible programs that LAC provides. Another area of focus is increasing gallery sales, continuing the search for more local artists who are looking to exhibit and bringing more art-lovers to the board.
“Any community organization that is willing to make life more interesting for its inhabitants has my vote,” he said. “LAC has a long history of supporting the community through the arts and I am thrilled to offer my support in its 75th year and beyond.”
For more information about the LAC, email info@LamorindaArts.org, call 925.359.9940 or visit lamorindaarts.org.
