SYNERGIZING ARTISTS AND BUILDING OWNERS, THIS JERSEY CITY ENTREPRENEUR HELPS FUEL BOTH REALMS

BY LAURA D.C. KOLNOSKI

Fortunately for humanity, art is everywhere on streets, in parks, libraries, public buildings, corporate headquarters, hospitals, galleries, and, of course, hotel lobbies and guestrooms. And how it gets there has become inspired business for one North Jersey artist/entrepreneur.

Meet Stefania Panepinto, fine artist, art advisor, dealer, and gallery owner, who is also principal of Panepinto Fine Art and Panepinto Properties, a global real estate development firm. After seven years of owning her gallery, she decided to expand it to present pop up shows in New Jersey and the Greater New York City area; building awareness of local artists and locales. She launched Panepinto Fine Art when she saw a need for personalized service among development communities and businesses.

Her vision to bridge the gaps among artists, building owners, and businesses clicked. In the process, she’s been able to showcase experienced as well as fresh talent in new ways and before wider audiences.

In her role at Panepinto Properties, she oversees interior design for new projects, along with interior renovations for existing properties. Working with the development team, interior designers, and artists has resulted in temporary and permanent art collections for hotels, office and residential buildings, and high end homes. Works are site specific, customized and tailored to each’s needs. To maximize effect, she coordinates color palettes, lighting, design features, and furnishings, then sources and commissions contemporary artworks to fulfill the specific design vision.

“I go to artists’ studios, take pictures of their work, and send the images to clients, working it out with the various parties to mix all types of work into a space,” she said, adding, “I’m always looking for new artists.”

Among her projects is the Element Hotel by Starwood and the residences at Harrison Station (both in Harrison), the Residence Inn by Marriott in Jersey City, 3 Journal Square Plaza luxury residencies, and the renovated Jersey City Medical Center. The Study Hotel in Philadelphia and the Sisters of Christian Charity in Mendham are also on her client list. The Harrison Station project includes travel themed photos of waitresses from around the world, adding a touch of whimsy.

Panepinto holds a Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University and a Masters of Fine Art from the New York Academy of Art (the school begun by Andy Warhol). In Europe, she attended the University of the Arts London, with instruction in drawing and painting. She is also a licensed real estate broker in New Jersey and has taken courses in real estate economics, finance, accounting, and law at New York University.

Panepinto’s works in oil paint, mixed media, and sculpture have been featured in the New York Times and the New York Observer, on U.S. television, and in United Kingdom media outlets. After creating a series of paintings depicting owls, she’s now working on a photography series based on her recent travels to Africa.

Through May 1 at the 70 Hudson waterfront office building in Jersey City is her curated exhibition “Through the Eyes of an Artist,” featuring 70 works by 56 artists from Jersey City, Hoboken, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and the Bronx. The exhibition, presented in conjunction with Spear Street Capital, explores the theme of an artist’s perception of contemporary life. Among the creative contributors is Anthony G. Carrino, best known as one half of HGTV’s Kitchen Cousins home renovation duo (the other is his cousin, John), and who also appears on Cousins On Call, Cousins Undercover, and America’s Most Desperate Kitchen.

Panepinto Galleries
371 Warren Street, Jersey City / 201.521.9000 / panepintogalleries.com