A Life Rendered in Milwaukee Light

Born to Sicilian immigrants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Santos Zingale spent his early years sketching the children of his neighborhood. This childhood habit of observation would later define a career rooted in the textures of urban and rural life. He studied at Milwaukee State Teachers College, earning his bachelor's degree in 1931, and eventually pursued further education under figures such as John Steuart Curry. His early professional years were spent sharing studio space in the Plankinton Building and teaching art to local students.

The 1930s brought a period of intense social engagement. As part of New Deal initiatives like the Public Works of Art Project, Zingale turned his attention to the struggles of the era. His work during this time was often political, documenting the hardships of African Americans and those caught in the violence of the Spanish Civil War. He did not shy away from the difficult realities of the underclass, earning him a reputation as a radical artist among the press of the day.

Murals and the American Landscape

Zingale’s hand was visible on the very walls of public institutions. His commissions for the Wisconsin Art Project and the Federal Art Project resulted in significant works, including a mural for the Sturgeon Bay Post Office depicting commercial fishermen and their boats. He also contributed to the Henry Mitchell High School Library in Racine. These large-scale projects required a command of color and composition that could hold the attention of a passing public.

His artistic focus shifted as his geography expanded. While he remained deeply connected to the decaying neighborhoods of Milwaukee, his later travels through the American Southwest introduced new influences. The stark landforms of the desert prompted a departure from his earlier social realism. In these later years, his style moved toward a more surrealist approach, utilizing shifting shapes and pastel tones to create scenes that felt part fact and part fantasy.

Service and Scholarship

The mid-1940s interrupted his studio practice with military service. Serving in the United States Navy aboard the USS Bremerton from 1944 to 1946, Zingale found a new subject in the daily routines of his fellow sailors. He produced hundreds of drawings that captured the lived experience of life at sea. This period of documentation provided a different perspective on the human condition, far removed from the streets of Wisconsin.

Upon returning to civilian life, Zingale transitioned into a long career in academia. After earning a Master of Education from UW-Madison, he joined the faculty of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He taught there for decades, eventually reaching the rank of Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1978. His legacy remains held within various institutions, including:

• The Milwaukee Art Museum
• The Smithsonian
• The Chazen Museum of Art
• The Racine Art Museum
• The Wisconsin Veterans Museum