Circus Day In America Installation, Shelburne Museum, VT
sideshow banners by
toni-Lee sangastiano
30 Years painting sideshow banners
Imagine painting for an actual sideshow —that’s exactly how my sideshow banner journey began in 1996 in Coney Island. From Coney Island to Vermont, from Honolulu to London, from stages to galleries and museums and as seen in documentaries or television series such as Ink Master, my banners have traveled, flown and delighted.
1997 Bannerline at Sideshow by the Seashore, Coney Island USA. This slide scan shows my first Sword Swallower (4x5ft), Serpentina (4x5ft), and Real Human Shrunken Head (6x9ft) banners. I was a junior at Fairleigh Dickenson University. The remaining banners were created by my fellow Art Club members and our fabulous mentor Marie Roberts, Artist-in-Residence, Coney Island USA.
Commissioned 15x40ft bannerline for the Shelburne Museum's Circus Day in America exhibition in Shelburne, VT. This outdoor installation was outside the magical Circus Barn building.
Check it out! One of my first Sword Swallower banners behind hunky Dave Navarro during an episode of Ink Master on Spike TV! I was very excited when a friend sent me the screenshots!!! These banners have a life of their own when they leave my nest :-)
Triple Blockhead Royalty. 2020. Oil on panel. 12 x 9 inches. There are so many layers of love and meaning in this commissioned painting and it was such an honor to secretly paint this for Todd Robbins. This is sideshow multi-generational history! <3
Whoa! Matt Fraser! I know! A very exciting moment at the opening of the Sideshow exhibition at the Edgewood Gallery, Yale School of Art. Matt and his wife Julie Atlas Muz performed in front of my Hunger Artist banner. The exhibition was curated by Lisa Kereszi.
Flashback alert early 2000s! George the Giant and Malaki performing in front of the 8 foot matching banners I painted for them. I love painting fire and adding humor to my banners.
My banners at the Honolulu Museum and School of Art, Hawaii.
Detail of Circus Day in America bannerline, Shelburne Museum, VT.
