Meet Chico Featured Artist Rick Vertolli, Visionary of Code & Canvas

Before digital art was a concept — before Pixar, Photoshop, or even Macintosh computers — Rick Vertolli was already dreaming about how technology and creativity could intersect. Now a Chico-based painter and retired animation professor, Vertolli’s career has bridged decades of tech innovation and artistic evolution. 

His latest work, on display at Plumas Bank’s Chico branch as part of a rotating exhibit in partnership with the Museum of Northern California Art (monca), loops moments in time into powerful messages.

A Background in Paint & Pixels

Vertolli’s journey into the arts began with a shift — from art major at Kent State in the 1970s to an early role in computer animation. His first post-degree job was to take complicated engineering concepts and schematics that couldn’t be filmed — like how Table Mountain was formed, or creating fly-throughs of architectural drawings before projects even broke ground — and creating digital visualizations.

It was this budding world of computer graphics that captured his imagination and launched a decades-long exploration into tech-driven creativity.

“Back then, nobody was really using computers to make art,” Vertolli recalled. “But I figured — why not? I loved art, and I was having to take engineering classes just to get access to the computer graphics classes. But it was obvious I was an artist trying to use the computer differently.”

He eventually ended up finding a powerful mentor in Chico State’s graduate program, Grace Hertlein, an interdisciplinary innovator who introduced IT specialists to computer art — and artists to computers. 

“There were probably like 20 people in the world who were doing that, but it was exactly what I wanted to do,” Vertolli said. “And it was the coolest thing. I just kind of grabbed on to every piece of information I could from her.” 

He then followed in Hertlein’s footsteps, teaching and ultimately serving as chair of the animation program at California College of the Arts in San Francisco. During his tenure, he recruited animators from Pixar to teach classes — the studio was a short distance from the school, and these teachers turned out to be a huge draw for students. Vertolli is proud to have grown the department’s enrollment nearly four-fold, helping inspire the next generation of digital artists.

But eventually, he returned to his analog roots.

“Once I retired, I built a studio in my backyard, and I started painting again — putting brush to canvas,” he said. “There’s something special about mixing paint, smelling the paint, feeling the brush stroke, things like that. Painting was always my first love.”

Stories That Loop — Literally

Today, Vertolli works out of this backyard studio in Chico, where his process often blends digital and analog methods. Many of his sequential paintings begin with sketches and digital mockups, which he animates to test looping sequences — before translating the motion frame-by-frame into physical paintings.

His featured work at Plumas Bank includes an eight-image sequence titled “Divided we Fall.” 

The looping animation plays in a digital frame directly below the paintings, giving viewers both the process and the product — and inviting them to reflect on the stories behind the brushstrokes.

The other piece at Plumas Bank “transcends the need for animation — it’s a moment in time,” Vertolli said. This five-piece sequence captures the emotional arc of the moments after his daughter gave birth to his granddaughter.

“In those first moments after birth, she went from fear to joy to contentment to happiness,” he shared. “It was so dramatic, and I wanted to show that arc in paint — no animation needed.”

Art for Everyone

While many of Vertolli’s pieces have lived quietly in his studio, the opportunity to showcase his work in the Chico branch of Plumas Bank changed that.

“I’d been looking for the right venue,” he said. “These pieces are large, but I wanted people to see them the way they were intended to be experienced.” 

The exhibit is part of a rotating art partnership between Plumas Bank and monca. Every few months, a new Northern California artist is featured in the Chico branch, giving visitors a chance to connect with the region’s vibrant creative community.

“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Plumas Bank by showcasing the exceptional work of local artists like Rick Vertolli,” said Patricia Macias, executive director of monca. “Rick’s blend of traditional and digital artistry reflects the vibrant creativity we are proud to support throughout Northern California. Exhibiting his work in a community space like Plumas Bank helps bring art into daily life and makes it accessible to everyone.”

Plan Your Visit

Rick Vertolli’s exhibit will be on display through September and is open to the public during normal banking hours — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. any weekday the bank is open — at the Plumas Bank Chico Branch, 900 Mangrove Ave.

Stop in to experience the work up close — and maybe catch a glimpse of a flag in motion or a meaningful moment suspended in time.

Learn More About the Chico Branch