Theresa DeSalvio

Tales: A Cautionary Story about Heroin Addiction



exhibition at The Gateway Project, Newark, NJ

Tales: A Cautionary Story about Heroin Addiction is my most comprehensive body of work. It began with my series of paintings, Tales.  In 2015, I created a series of storyboards using twenty-four of the images and became the featured artist of the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA) first "Heroin Addiction Art Exhibition" which traveled throughout New Jersey, in 2015.

I expanded this series of paintings and later in 2015, published the painting images with narrative as Tales: A Cautionary Story about Heroin Addiction.   This 36 page full-color, bilingual (English/Spanish) book was funded in part through a Kickstarter campaign.

at Budget Print Center, Bloomfield, NJ with Alexandra Henao, translator and Tom DeStafano, company owner

In 2016, I expanded this project to become a film (running time 17:17). The film interweaves statistical information about addiction and its broad effects on the individual, the family and society, with the images and narrative. 

The film has been screened in numerous international film festivals as well as private screenings for community organizations, churches and other groups.  Film festivals include: Hudson Valley International Film Festival (2016), Great Lakes Shorts Festival (2016), Impact Docs Awards (2017), Brightside Tavern Shorts Festival (2016), Hang onto Your Shorts Film Festival (2017), Docs without Borders Film Festival (2017). 
 
(left to right) Amelia Muccia, violinist, Theresa DeSalvio, Willie Ford- Smith, violist, Michael DeMaio, composer

Theresa DeSalvio was a guest on The Bill Russo Show, City World Radio on November 28,2016.  You can listen to the interview here. (link will be available soon.)

 


In 2017, Tales was exhibited in its entirety at Alexander Heath Contemporary, Roanoke, Virginia. 
The documentary Theresa DeSalvio-Other Stories walks you through this exhibition.

https://vimeo.com/313886525





Some of the press and interviews for this project:

Mark Di Ionno's article on Tales in the March 11, 2018 Star Ledger

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/03/a_dark_story_of_heroin_addiction_di_ionno.html

"Theresa DeSalvio uses the original, darker version of 'Pinocchio' to explore heroin addiction in a short film inspired by a recent series of paintings."  - The Montclair Dispatch

The Montclair Dispatch

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Montclair Dispatch writer Rosemarie Salvatore writes about Theresa DeSalvio’s use of the original, darker version of “Pinocchio” to explore heroin addiction in a short film and book inspired by a recent series of paintings.

Click here or on the image to read the full article.

 

https://montclairdispatch.com/theresa-desalvio-local-artist-with-a-message/

The Glen Ridge Paper

Thursday, September 1, 2016

The Glen Ridge Paper writer Daniel Jackovino writes about local artist Theresa DeSalvio, who created an illustrated book about heroin addiction and then turned the book into a film.

Click here or on the image to read the full article.

 

The Glen Ridge Voice

Thursday, August 11, 2016

The Glen Ridge Voice writer Erin Roll writes about local artist Theresa DeSalvio, whose short film about heroin addiction (based on her book, illustrated with her own paintings) was selected for two regional film festivals: the Brightside Tavern Film Fest in Jersey City and the Hudson Valley International Film Festival in Monroe, NY.

Click here or on the image to read the full article.

 

Bilingual (English/Spanish) book Tales: A Cautionary Story about Heroin Addiction, (36 pages), is available for purchase $15.00 plus shipping through Paypal.

Video Tales: A Cautionary Story about Heroin Addiction (running time: 17:17) is available for purchase $20.00 plus shipping 
through Paypal.

To schedule presentations of the film, contact me through this website.