BIOGRAPHY

Michael Scolaro has been an active medical clinician, teacher, and researcher, focused on neuropsychiatry, pain management, AND INFECTION  WITH THE HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS. In the early years of the AIDS PANDEMIC, He and his colleagues founded Let There Be Hope Medical Research Institute, a non-profit charity to explore novel treatments for HIV as well as malignancies and opportunistic infections in people with immune dysfunctions. Their work led to the invention of a nanocarrier that could deliver therapeutic payloads to specific cells of the immune system.

 

in order To relax from the stresses of work, he began to paint.  He was initially hesitant to show his work to his brother Peter (who himself was an accomplished artist) but after an accidental visit,  he was gratefully encouraged by his brother's positive response to his early efforts and encouraging words to "paint every day".

 

In 1997, one of his first paintings, a large 96x76 Inches oil on canvas, "Il Passero Solitario" depicted his interpretation of the existential suffering of a lonely sparrow immortalized in a canto by the Italian literary genius, Giacomo Leopardi. After being exhibited in Paris, France, and later in Geneva, Switzerland, this work quickly sold for $25,000 US, with all proceeds being donated to Let There Be Hope to support the Foundation's AIDS research. This whetted the budding artist's appetite and led to a whirlwind of exhibitions with huge successes in art sales and fundraising.

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Born and raised in New York City, he was one of four children who benefitted from their parents’ belief in education, with a keen appreciation for art and music. proximity to Manhattan allowed the young student to take full advantage of museums, theatres, educational opportunities and the diversity of city life. After graduating from the Bronx High School of Science in 1946 at age 16, he continued his education at Columbia University and went on to study medicine at Boston University’s School of Medicine, graduating in 1959 to complete his internship in medicine at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital.

 

As a young doctor practicing neuropsychiatry at St. Vincent Hospital in New York City, he kept his artistic spirit alive and well, performing as a madrigal singer with a group specializing in music from the Medieval and Renaissance periods. He later performed in clubs such as the Copacabana and Upstairs at the Downstairs, befriended by legends Dixie Carter, Morgana King and Blossom Dearie.

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Later, he moved to Los Angeles to become an associate professor at the University of Southern California and established a pain management program at St. Vincent Medical Center – the first of its kind to be sanctioned by Medicare.

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As an artist, he passionately believes that creativity is the spiritual thread that links nature, science, medicine and art. This belief is evident when studying his life, which embraces the fields of science, medicine, philanthropy, music, and the arts.

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As a physician, his impatience at finding treatments for catastrophic diseases was in stark contrast to his  approach to painting, which patiently seeks the right light and the right interplay of forces, to reveal nature in all its passion, turmoil, tranquility and vitality.

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His paintings have been exhibited numerous times in different venues in Paris, Manhattan, Geneva, Kansas City, Laguna Beach, Paramount Studios in Hollywood, and various galleries in Los Angeles.