John S. Caggiano

John Caggiano was born in Brooklyn, New York, where he studied pre-engineering at Brooklyn Technical High School. He received a BA degree from Brooklyn College and an MFA from Pratt Institute, both with honors. His education was supplemented by courses at The Brooklyn Museum of Art and the Studio and Forum of Stage Design in New York City.

He relocated to Rockport, Massachusetts in 1980, drawn to the physical beauty and unique quality of Cape Ann’s light. Aside from participating in up to twelve juried plein air events a year, he travels extensively, both here and abroad, painting on location. This plein air approach enables him to capture the essence of the time and place that he interprets into his bright and colorful “Impressionistic-realism” style. The use of a palette knife, enhances the effects of his brushwork. “Painting for me is the bold and dynamic use of color that infuses life into the subject of the painting. Color is the lifeblood of the painting. Nothing stimulates more than its pleasing harmony, whether strongly applied or toned and tranquil.”

An artist member of many organizations, Mr. Caggiano has served as President of the Rockport Art Association and Museum and had been a member of its Board of Governors for sixteen years. Both he and his award-winning paintings have made appearances on nationwide television shows such as ABC’s Good Morning America, on It’s All About the Arts, WBNN’s Boston channel and on international TV, Televisione Italiana- RAI. His art has also been featured in and graced the covers of numerous books, magazines and newspapers including Marine Art: A Gallery of Marine Art; Monhegan: The Artists’ Island, and The Best of Oil Painting among others. John is an elected Signature Member of American Impressionist Society, American Society of Marine Artists, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, the Salmagundi Club; also Academic Artists, Hudson Valley Art, Lyme Art, North Shore Arts, and Rockport Art – Associations. He is also a member of Maine Plein Air Painters, Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, Oil Painters of America, and Outdoor Painters Society where he has received many awards including the Bernard Corey Memorial Award, and the Guild of Boston Artists Award, among others. One of John’s paintings won the inaugural purchase prize for the permanent collection of The Bennington Center for the Arts, (VT), and the Best of Show & Alden Bryan Gold Medal in the “Land and Light” Exhibition at the Bryan Memorial Gallery, (VT). More recently, John was twice awarded the Texas Ranchland Award and the Best Architectural Award at En Plein Air Texas, Life on the Farm Award at Plein Air Easton, Best of Show at the Annual Juried show at the Lyme Art Association, the Alden Bryan Landscape Award from Academic Artists Association, Best of Show - Annual Members Show from the Outdoor Painters Society, First Place Stobart Foundation Award at the 39^th Annual Mystic Maritime International Exhibition, Best Artist Over 65 Award in the 11th Annual Plein Air Salon Competition, as well as twice chosen for the Top 100 Paintings of the Salon Competition, the Alden Bryan Memorial Award at the 89^th Annual Hudson Valley Art Association National Juried Exhibition, and most recently, the Best Maritime Activity Award from Cape Ann Plein Air. PleinAir Magazine featured an artist profile of John in September 2017 and an online profile in OutdoorPainter.com. Since then, PleinAir and Fine Art Connoisseur Magazines have featured John's art in no fewer than twenty four editorial articles, including the "Winter's Beauty" editorial feature in the March 2025 issue PleinAir Magazine.