Eight-year-old Gio opened his art exhibit at Artists Matter Gallery in the Topanga Creek Courtyard to a Cinco de Mayo celebration featuring the electric “Queen of Salsoul,� Cecilia Noël. “You can imagine what that was like,� said gallery owner Lloyd Sax. “300 people showed up.� Artist, musician, composer, songwriter, filmmaker, novelist, Giosué “Gio� Bottini was born in New York City to actress/writer Nicole Arlyn and Italian jazz musician Massimo Bottini from the band Gabin. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Gio moved to Los Angeles with his mom when he was three years old. It was easy to see his passion for painting when he was two, and when he was three he started selling his art. At five, he held his first show with the artist Lucien Smith at The Melet Mercantile Art Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles. A month later, he began making his own films, writing, acting, directing and composing scores for them. His first directorial film, Bird in the Wild (2020), has been an official selection in over 20 film festivals. He has acted in many indie films and currently costars as Little Lucas on Hulu’s “Tiny Beautiful Things.� He is also passionate about Mathematics and studies “high maths� at UCLA. Gio is currently at work on two novels, two feature screenplays, and just completed another short film, Looking for Pacino, and is working on a musical album of some original songs. Now, at eight years old, he has Cecilia Noël opening for him. Imagine that. The exhibit continues until Sunday, June 11. Hours are 3-6 p.m. About Artists Matter Gallery Based in Santa Monica, California, Artists Matter is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization set up to provide resources, services, and creative support to help artists and support the arts. It also aims to provide a platform for people of all abilities to explore their talents and express themselves in a creative capacity. Lloyd Sax, Founder and CEO of Artists Matter Gallery, has extensive experience in music publishing, merchandising and tours and currently runs his own firm, Lloyd Sax Management that has a roster of entertainment and high-profile clients.