Artist, family bring fresh look to theater
Rumson native’s
murals decorate
lobby of Red Bank’s
Count Basie Theatre
JERRY WOLKOWITZ (top photo) Andrew Tedesco (top photo) touches up the mural that now adorns the lobby of the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. The completed mural is below.
Red Bank’s Count Basie Theatre has much to be grateful for this holiday season. The tired old lobby has been uplifted by exquisite murals donated by an artist whose Rumson family has also generously donated articles to enhance the look of the theater.
Using the palettes of the old masters, Rumson native Andrew Tedesco creates murals that transcend time and, in the case of his trompe l’oeil pieces, that fool the eye into transcending space and texture.
The trompe l’oeil (trom – plóy) technique is a historic form of decorative painting which creates the illusion of reality. Trompe l’oeil requires painstaking application of shadowing and faux finish techniques to achieve a multidimensional, textural effect mimicking wood, marble, glass or virtually any desired surface or object.
"Whether it be a large classical mural or a trompe l’oeil vignette, I enjoy making each mural specific to the space and client. I never paint the same thing twice," the artist said.
Tedesco, 32, who now lives and works in Manhattan, N.Y., donated his talent and time to create spectacular murals for the lobby of the theater, which is located at 99 Monmouth Street. Using latex paint on canvas panels that were stretched on the floor in his West 26th Street studio, he designed works of art that will add texture and depth to the lobby of the theater for years to come.
Although the canvases are protected with a coat of polyurethane, they should also improve with time.
"I didn’t antique it to look old. It will become antique looking by itself," he explained.
Tedesco based the trompe l’oeil panels on Austrian murals from the 18th century. They are painted to look like marble replete with swags and fringe and a painted hearth where a real fireplace used to be. The soft colors are true to 18th century murals, he said.
JERRY WOLKOWITZ Andrew Tedesco puts the finishing touches on the mural he donated to the Count Basie Theatre. At right and below are other examples of Tedesco’s work
It took Tedesco and three assistants — Michael Lucas, Elvira Sterk and Tyler Blanton — three days to install the murals, which extended over a couple of utility doors so as not to break the pattern.
"It took one month to paint the 160 running feet of canvas. Had the theater had to commission them, it would have cost $15,000 to $20,000," he said.
Tedesco said that although he is hoping the exposure will help his mural business, that was not the only reason he donated them.
"It was such a joy to be at the theater for those three days," he said. "People who came into the theater were so appreciative and so full of joy, as were the people who work and volunteer there."
Another reason for his generosity is his family — especially his mother, who is on the board of the Count Basie Theatre.
According to Lynda Rose, the theater’s new CEO, the Tedesco family is responsible for many gifts to the theater this holiday season. The overall opulence of the new lobby includes an Austrian crystal chandelier, imported red carpeting, beveled glass mirrors and antique brass wall scones, all of which were provided by the Tedesco family, she said.
The Count Basie Theatre opened on Nov. 11, 1926, and featured Keith-Able Vaudeville and a movie, The Quarterback, featuring Richard Dix with Ester Ralston. At the time of the opening, it was called "the most beautiful theater in the state." It was reported that 3,900 people attended the two opening-night performances.
The building, then known as the Carlton Theatre, was designed by architect William E. Lehman of Newark. He incorporated the most modern ideas in theater construction at the time. Color and light were the two outstanding features of the structure. Hundreds of lights studded the ceiling and sidewalls.
Tedesco was busy putting in baseboards last Friday.
"My goal was to be finished by the first Nutcracker production today," he said.
Tedesco said his training has taken many forms.
"I come from an artistic family. I’m the fourth generation of my family to make a living as an artist," he explained. "My great-great-grandfather, William Carter, was an artist. He died on the first train to Atlantic City. My great-grandmother, William’s daughter, was also an artist. When she went blind and couldn’t see to paint any longer, she made dolls. And my mother, Marjorie Tedesco, is an artist. She does everything from painted eggs to canvases."
The mural project was incubated when his mother described to him the challenges facing the renovation of the lobby. Mother and son began brainstorming ideas for his murals, and within weeks he had conceptualized, executed and installed the artwork reminiscent of the grandest European theater halls.
"We have a number of very ambitious improvement projects slated for the theater," said Marjorie Tedesco. "It’s my hope that this immediate, tangible improvement will inspire others to join us in restoring this historic treasure for everyone’s enjoyment."
Tedesco’s art training included a double major in art history and studio art at the University of Maryland. In 1991, he moved to New York City and took classes at the Parson School of Design. He has also apprenticed with Broadway scenic artists.
"Through the combination of these influences, my unique style has developed," he said.
Tedesco has been in the business of creating murals for eight years and has participated in the Kips Bay Show House, New York City; the Rogers Memorial Library Show House, Southampton, N.Y.; and the French Designer Showhouse, also in New York City.
Tedesco’s murals have been featured in all major New York newspapers and many design magazines, and on the covers and in the pages of numerous painting and design reference books.
"I have also been featured on the TV show Today and on the cable-TV stations CNN and Lifetime," he said. "This exposure has enhanced my reputation with designers and clients."
Tedesco uses the inspirational ideas of his clients as well as designers. Whether they are small works or large murals, like the ones in the lobby of the theater, his work is diverse and portrays different historical periods and styles with the skill of an accomplished muralist.
Tedesco said it comes naturally to him.
"I grew up surrounded by art, and when I started picking up my mother’s brushes and painting, it came so easy to me that it’s fun," he said.
Tedesco can be reached at (212) 924-8438. His Web site is www.andrewtedesco.com.