"ECHOES OF LIFE" is an amalgamation of my work, as well as my life," notes artist SAGE GALLON, an incredibly talented local Harlem resident during an interview, speaking about his current exhibition here at the DWYER CULTURAL CENTER.

Born in Wyandanch, New York, a town on Long Island, the Suffolk County area, SAGE GALLON spent his formative years living in a commune in northern California. At some point, SAGE, his mother, and then step-father, moved back to Long Island, the town of Hempstead.

An intelligent, inspired, motivated young man, SAGE, voted Junior Class President and Prom King, was unexpectantly drawn to art, where he found refuge in an effort to escape the trauma that he was experiencing at home from domestic violence.

In his early 20's, recreational drug use became a problem for SAGE after being introduced to crack. The downward spiral was fast and devastating. SAGE would find himself living on the streets, addicted and shrouded in darkness.

SAGE was sent to a rehabilitation facility in Maryland. After leaving rehab, he moved to Washington DC where he eventually met a man named Walter O'Neal who would essentially, change his life.

O'Neal befriended SAGE during this most troubled time in his life, generously buying him art supplies, giving him some structure and artistic direction.

SAGE was sent to a rehab in Maryland in 1993, he left the program to move to DC. It was in DC where he met a man who would change his life, Walter 'O Neal. Walter befriended the once again homeless SAGE and bought him $100’s worth of art supplies. SAGE started painting at that point. In 1997, SAGE moved to LA in hopes of escaping drugs. In the early 2000's, SAGE got sober and stayed so for 11 years. He relapsed after that 11 years and almost lost everything. His first exhibit, Nebula, was in 2013. After Nebula, SAGE went on a dark binder. He came home with no drugs, money or access to either, just a lot of pain. SAGE laid on his floor with some old acrylics and a torn piece of canvas and poured all of his pain into it.

In 2014, SAGE checked himself into a sober living facility, where he was also named "one of the 40 black artists to watch" in TheGrio. He would go on to have interviews and solo exhibitions in galleries and museums across the Country. In 2024, SAGE was flown to Dubai to paint live for "The Global Black Impact.” His work was auctioned off and sold for $16,000.

In May of 2024, 64 pieces of SAGE’S Work were selected by the producers of a Universal Studios film to be used in the movie Atlantis. SAGE was flown to VA to paint additional pieces. Since moving back home to NY, SAGE has shown with Art on the Ave NYC, the Harlem Fine Arts Show, the West Harlem Art Alliance, Chuck D's MadUrgancy, Cheryl's Global Soul Restaurant, Artfull Walls Gallery, Laspa Du Reve Gallery and others. SAGE is honored to be showing at the historic Dwyer Cultural Center in Harlem NY.

"Echos of Life explore the journey of living. The tears, pain, joy and laughter."