Vassilios "Bill" Giavis, born in Lowell, is one of the most important painters of his era in this region. Following his graduation from Massachusetts College of Art in 1951, he was drafted in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. On his return from the service, he rolled his sleeves and took up the family business, Giavis Market, which he managed successfully for more than 30 years. The Greek-American grocery and meat market on Cardinal O’Connell Parkway, near City Hall, was a cultural landmark. A Southeast Asian market operates at that address today. Customers at the store would see Bill’s vivid watercolor paintings hung above the shelves filled with goods. Occasionally, Bill would fill the nearby Whistler House for an exhibition of his latest works, to great acclaim. One of the Whistler House shows featured dozens of paintings based on scenes from an extraordinary Greek festival in the city. In 1984, he rented a studio at the new Brush Gallery and Studios artists co-op in Market Mills, a project initiated by the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, U. S. Department of the Interior. (Interestingly, Bill’s painting of his family’s original market (Giavis Bros. Meat, 1911) graced the cover of the LHPC’s Preservation Plan, published in 1980. Bill has painted in his studio at “the Brush” almost every day since he moved in. An award-winning painter, Bill works in watercolor, oils, and acrylic. His cityscapes and landscapes of Lowell, Boston, and other places in New England and around the country and world are perhaps his signature work. His narrative style is strongly evident throughout, especially in works the reveal his deft handling of figures. In recent years he has turned out several series, including one on Lowell’s Golden Gloves boxing heritage and another on diners in the region. One of his Lowell scenes is featured on the cover of a recent edition of Jack Kerouac’s 1930s Lowell novel, Doctor Sax, published by Grove Press. He has a number of Kerouac-related works, from portraits to renderings of the Kerouac Commemorative in Lowell. Most days of the week you will find Bill at work in his studio, where many of his works are available as prints. To contact Bill Giavis, write to him at the Brush Art Gallery, 256 Market Street, Lowell, MA 01852 or call (978) 459-7819.
 

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