gerard caliste

Gerard C headshot.jpg

Born in​ ​New​ ​Orleans​ ​Louisiana, Gerard Caliste​ ​decided  at​ ​the​ ​early​ ​age​ ​of​ ​five​ ​that​ ​he​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​be​ ​an​ ​artist.​ ​He​ ​took​ ​the​ ​liberty​ ​to​ ​draw  on​ ​any​ ​piece​ ​of​ ​paper​ ​that​ ​he​ ​could​ ​get​ ​his​ ​hands​ ​on​ ​all​ ​through​ ​elementary​ ​and  middle​ ​school​ ​due​ ​to​ ​the​ ​lack​ ​of​ ​arts​ ​education.​ ​This​ ​was​ ​the​ ​case​ ​until​ ​he  entered​ ​L.E​ ​Rabouin​ ​High​ ​School.​ ​Their​ ​art​ ​department​ ​had​ ​a​ ​founding  partnership​ ​with​ ​Young​ ​Aspirations​ ​Young​ ​Artist​ ​YA/YA​ ​which​ ​was​ ​right​ ​around  the​ ​corner​ ​from​ ​Rabouin​ ​High​ ​School.​ ​Caliste’s​ ​art​ ​teacher,​ ​Ms.​ ​Neske,​ ​arranged  for​ ​her​ ​class​ ​to​ ​create​ ​Christmas​ ​cards​ ​that​ ​were​ ​produced​ ​in​ ​a​ ​collaboration  with​ ​YAYA.​ ​After​ ​that​ ​experience​ ​Caliste​ ​was​ ​an​ ​official​ ​member​ ​of​ ​the  organization​ ​which​ ​profoundly​ ​uplifted​ ​his​ ​creative​ ​confidence​ ​by​ ​allowing​ ​him​ ​to  develop​ ​his​ ​craft​ ​and​ ​learn​ ​the​ ​many​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​being​ ​an​ ​artist. The​ ​most​ ​notable​ ​project​ ​during​ ​his​ ​time​ ​at​ ​YAYA​ ​was​ ​for​ ​the​ ​United​ ​Nations​ ​50​th anniversary.​ ​He​ ​was​ ​one​ ​of​ ​seven​ ​international​ ​artist​s ​who​ ​co-designed​ ​a​ ​woven  commemorative​ ​seat​ ​cover​ ​fabric​ ​for​ ​each​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Delegates​ ​seats​ of​ ​UN​ ​General  Assembly​ ​room​ ​-​ ​and​ ​this​ ​was​ ​the​ ​first​ ​time​ ​the​ ​seats​ ​had​ ​ever​ ​been​ ​altered.​ ​He  has​ ​also​ ​worked​ ​under​ ​the​ ​direction​ ​of​ ​notable​ ​artists​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Willie​ ​Birch,​ ​Keith  Perelli,​ ​and​ ​Nanette​ ​Carter.​ ​​ ​In​ ​the​ ​fall​ ​of​ ​1997,​ ​he​ ​entered​ ​the​ ​Savannah​ ​College  of​ ​Art​ ​and​ ​Design​ ​(SCAD)​ ​after​ ​being​ ​awarded​ ​a​ ​Presidential​ ​Scholarship.​ ​​ ​During  his​ ​studies​ ​at​ ​SCAD​ ​he​ ​was​ ​able​ ​to​ ​find​ ​a​ ​true​ ​direction​ ​in​ ​his​ ​work​ ​by​ ​exploring  more​ ​formal​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​fine​ ​art​ ​through​ ​the​ ​creation​ ​of​ ​art​ ​in​ ​a​ ​wide​ ​range​ ​of  media​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​learning​ ​its​ ​historical​ ​value.  After​ ​obtaining​ ​a​ ​BFA​ ​from​ ​SCAD,​ ​Caliste​ ​​moved​ ​to​ ​Houston,​ ​Texas​ ​to​ ​work  for​ ​the​ ​public​ ​school​ ​system​ ​as​ ​an​ ​art​ ​teacher.​ ​To view more of Gerard Caliste’s work, visit gcalifineart.com.