<p>Joey: Now, when you think of the typical art gallery, you might think paintings and pictures. But I tell you what, there's more than the eye beholds with this one. We're going to check out Seven Setting Suns Art Gallery, and as well, the studio upstairs. Let's check it out. Vicenzo, thanks for having us. Man, how would you even define the space that we're standing in right now?</p>
<p>Vincenzo: Hmm, definitely aiming to really stimulate everyone's hearts, souls, minds. Maybe you're doing something that's like, "Oh man, that's going to spark me to do something." I mean, that's been happening my whole life.</p>
<p>Joey: Yeah.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: So if I can be a contributor of those actions, man, I mean just makes for a better world for sure.</p>
<p>Joey: Yeah. And you grew up, and born, and raised in Aurora.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: In Aurora, yeah.</p>
<p>Joey: So is that when you really started having this artistic ability, and you said it's kind of lightning struck and you knew what you wanted to do?</p>
<p>Vincenzo: I thought it'd be a lot more special to come back to Aurora and really try and launch something and make something really be one of the ones that really make things happen.</p>
<p>Joey: Yeah.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: So, means a lot to me to do it from here.</p>
<p>Joey: What is this room here?</p>
<p>Vincenzo: So this is our production room. This is where we crank out all the work. We have the highest resolution printer on the planet. Fun to have it in our own studio. I mean, everything is made to order, and from our corporate clients. We do a lot of stuff for hotels or car museums. I use them all. Well, almost all of them.</p>
<p>Joey: Polaroids and everything still work?</p>
<p>Vincenzo: Polaroids. Kodak's. My first, very first camera. Where is it? Here it is. This is my very first camera. The Kodak Instamatic. I think everybody had this in the 70s. Everyone did. Square photographs. Never forget them. And music was always a huge part of my life.</p>
<p>Joey: How many instruments do you play?</p>
<p>Vincenzo: Several. Guitars primarily, keyboards, synthesizers, anything percussive. This one here, this is 63/330. And I mean, it's the exact thing that the Beatles are playing, and that AC30 over there it's the same thing. So you plug it in play like a Beatles riff and it's not kind of like the same sound. It is the same sound. It's the same guitar, same amp. And then you got to put it down, because I mean, what's the point. I mean you're not going to top it. So. I grew up playing tennis. So I kept pretty much every racket I ever played with and some of my buddy's rackets too. And my brother played, too.</p>
<p>Joey: I'm not quite sure you have enough rackets.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: Little history of the tennis racket, from [Borigone 00:02:52] up, so, until I stopped playing tennis.</p>
<p>Joey: So you see yourself tapping in into the potential Aurora has and making it something that people haven't seen before.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: For sure. Love to be a big part of steering that equation. And then, I'm a big believer in gravitational pull. So, maybe I can be one that will be bring other people in that are doing cool stuff.</p>
<p>Joey: Yeah.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: And if all of us that are doing really cool influential stuff, get together, and do it in one town, man. I mean, people will start coming. It's not rocket science.</p>
<p>Joey: Right.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: I mean in a town like this, I mean, there's plenty of places for people to set up shop and live and really get it to accelerate.</p>
<p>Joey: I appreciate you coming on. I appreciate you being part of Talking Cities and you're an inspiration to everybody in Aurora. Thank you so much.</p>
<p>Vincenzo: Oh, well, I appreciate it. Thanks so much. Appreciate it.</p>
An Artist Returns Home to Spark the Next Generation of Great Visionaries
Vincenzo Valenziano grew up with his family in Aurora, IL, and as an adult, he traveled the world touring with a passion for art and music. While traveling during his music career, he developed other hobbies, including becoming a collector, photographer, and artist. Something in him always drew him back to Aurora; Vincenzo decided to return and help the city he fell in love with to inspire the next generation of artists by setting up Seven Setting Suns Art Gallery.
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