Life of the party: Prolific prop artist selling South Scranton business

Mar. 8—SCRANTON — Prolific prop artist Jeff D'Angelo got his start in art at age 5 selling drawings to neighbors for nickels.

Though his mother made him give the money back, the budding artist bloomed.

Never formally trained as an artist, D'Angelo nevertheless made a name for himself in art with his Jeff D'Angelo's Design Group, a prop rentals business that enlivens parties and events with decorative themes. Their slogan is "We put the art in party."

Turning 64 on Sunday, D'Angelo has decided to sell his 6,800-square-foot studio in South Scranton at 631 Prospect Ave. and voluminous collection of 10,000 props and vintage items in 165 themes. Examples include the Roaring 20s, the beach, horror films and sports.

"Art was always a part of me. I didn't have a formal art education and couldn't have imagined I would fill a building" with prop art, D'Angelo said.

Taly Kornfeld with Lewith & Freeman Real Estate is handling the sale. The business, building and contents is listed for $495,000; the business alone is listed at $250,000.

D'Angelo and his wife, Diane, who recently retired from teaching, have two children and two grandchildren. In selling his business, Jeff D'Angelo wants to spend more time with his family and grandchildren, as well as with his parents, noted tailor Leo D'Angelo, 95, and Rita, 90.

A graduate of Scranton Central High School, D'Angelo studied business at Lackawanna College and worked for 35 years with his father at his fine menswear store, LaSalle The Image Makers, 832 S. Webster Ave. in South Scranton.

When he wasn't selling or hemming clothes, D'Angelo sat in his office at the shop and doodled. Someone asked if he would do artwork as decorations for a party. Soon, he was making props in his father's basement, renting them out and stockpiling them.

After filling the basement and then an apartment with cutout props, in 2005 he bought a former VFW at 631 Prospect Ave. — two blocks away from his dad's shop — to make it an art studio. He wanted to be able to keep working for his father and bop over to the art studio when necessary.

For financial security, he took a job in 2008 in security at Marywood University and remains employed there full-time. All the while, he has operated his prop art business on the side.

D'Angelo's handiwork involves pop culture characters from movies and television of all eras, as well as cartoon animals and figures, painted on foam board and cut out with a jigsaw. His studio is jam packed with art running the gamut from "The Wizard of Oz" to sports legends to holidays, as well as vintage objects, toys, game boards, lunch boxes, instruments and more.

His cutouts of popular characters from "The Office" television series decorated the former Mall at Steamtown in Scranton over a decade ago. Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton used his cutouts of characters in 2020 to block off tables for pandemic-related social distancing when indoor dining resumed.

His art studio makes for a unique workplace.

"I always say I come to work and surround myself with my childhood," D'Angelo said. "Where else can you come in and hang out with Farrah Fawcett, James Bond and listen to the Beatles all day."

Danielle Dunbar of Scranton used D'Angelo's props in December for a 16th birthday party for her daughter. Dunbar has a degree and much other formal training in art and has worked in art and design. She did not have time to make her own decorations for an "Alice in Wonderland"-themed birthday party inspired by the 2010 film directed by Tim Burton. Dunbar heard of D'Angelo and called to see if he had any 'Alice' props.

He did, of course. Dunbar visited D'Angelo's studio and was bowled over.

"I have a lot of art training and when I come in here ... he's probably one of the best artists I've ever seen in my life," Dunbar said. "It blows my mind. It's amazing. It's like it's God-given. I don't think anyone would even believe him, that he has no art training."

D'Angelo hopes to find a buyer who will pick up where he leaves off.

"I've had that knack, that I wanted to have my artwork out there. And at this point, I still want it out there and I want people to enjoy it even when I'm not here," D'Angelo said. "All any artist wants is for their work to live on and be appreciated."

emailto:Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.