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Historical Impersonations
Bringing History to Life through First-Person Portrayals
Gala Dali (1894-1982) was born in Russia as Elena Ivanovna Diakonova and met French surrealist poet Paul Eluard, who would become her first husband, when they were both receiving treatment at a tuberculosis sanatorium in Switzerland. In 1929, Gala met the young surrealist artist Salvador Dali in Spain; their relationship led to the break-up of her marriage with Eluard and her subsequent marriage to Dali in 1934. She served as model, muse, and agent to Dali, enabling him to focus more productively on his work.
Emily Lapisardi's portrayal of Gala Dali was developed for a fundraising event, the Dali+Gala, for the Market Street Arts Festival in Brownsville, PA.