ARTS PROGRAM WAS BIG SUCCESS!
We are very fortunate to have in the Washington, D.C. area a talented trio of Italian artists who came to speak to the society and display some of their works on July 27: Antonio Bianchini (mosaics), Roberto Paolinelli (ceramics) and Raffaele De Gregorio (painting). Given that many of our members were on vacation or in Italy, the very respectable turnout of 92 people was a testament to the interest of AMHS members and friends in hearing from these three local artists. Before the program began, we heard from AMHS 2013 scholarship winner Christina Iovino, whose heartfelt remarks about her love for her Italian heritage affirmed that the Scholarship Committee had indeed made an excellent choice.
Antonio Bianchini,
our master mosaicist, returned from Italy just in time for our program. While in Italy he went to see the beautiful mosaics in Sicily and Venice. As everyone knows, Italy is justly famous for its mosaics in Ravenna but also in places such as Otranto, Puglia. 3 Antonio, who was born in Tripoli, Libya, has an interesting story about how he became interested in mosaics. He was in Rome with his family after returning from Tripoli, and there in a refugee camp next to the Church of Santa Croce, was an old man who asked Antonio to go around the camp and look for materials such as broken clay pots and ceramic dishes, little stones and metal scraps.
The old man then showed Antonio how to use a hammer and chisel to create a mosaic and then how to cement it on a board. Years later, Antonio would study with two teachers from Ravenna, including one who was a professor of the Mosaic Academy of Ravenna. Antonio’s works are now in Poland, Albania, Italy and the United States. A couple months ago, some AMHS members were invited to give a presentation to a Sons of Italy lodge and for this event. Antonio created a most beautiful mosaic of the trulli in Alberobello—a painstaking job that took him 45 hours.
He explained to us his technique for creating these masterpieces, and Antonio even displayed a mosaic for which he used some gold tesserae. As attendees examined Antonio’s mosaics close up, it was clear that this is indeed a painstaking and timeconsuming labor of love.
Raffaele De Gregorio
was our third artist. That name may seem familiar because when you pick up Holy Rosary’s Sunday Bulletin, you will see Raffaele’s handiwork with his name underneath the sketch of Holy Rosary and Casa Italiana - which he made years ago. Raffaele, who grew up on the beautiful island of Capri, was suggested for this program by his friend Nancy Hurst, a former member of our board, who says Raffaele’s sister owns the best restaurant in Capri.
And it was in Capri that Raffaele first became interested in art after he met a wellknown English film art director who retired there to paint and make sculptures. Before he began learning to paint, Raffaele noted that his 4 internship with the Englishman consisted of making sure there was always a full glass of wine available. After coming to America, Raffaele explained that he started his own design and advertising agency and became involved with introducing Italian architectural technologies to the U.S. federal and state governments.
He has created numerous murals for corporate offices, hospitals and restaurants (for example, for Pulcinella’s restaurant in McLean, Virginia). Assisted by his friend Giovanni Napolitano, Raffaele showed us some of his paintings, including the beautiful print he designed for the White House commemorating the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America. After the program, many members enjoyed viewing Raffaele’s paintings and offering their own interpretations.
Roberto Paolinelli, our second artist, was introduced by AMHS member Dave Ciummo, who was one of a number of students in attendance who take ceramics classes with Roberto at Casa Italiana. Roberto, who was born in Pescara, Abruzzo, is a master of the Castelli school of ceramics, named after a town in Abruzzo which has been famous for its handpainted ceramics technique as far back as the Renaissance.
Roberto explained that he studied under the leading ceramics masters in Castelli d’Abruzzo and we learned that the word “majolica” describes the enameled pottery that has been made in Italy for generations. He noted that the creation of these ceramics is complex and requires an understanding of the nature of the refined clay, the glazing and firing process, and the subtle combination of just seven base colors.
Noting that he has many sources of inspiration, Roberto said sometimes it comes from Italian Renaissance symbols, classical depictions of noble and religious life, and landscapes. Roberto’s ceramics, along with the work of his students, were on display at Casa Italiana on June 8. For our program, Roberto brought a variety of his beautiful ceramics pieces to display which were admired close-up by many afterwards.
NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER TOUR
On July 31, 2014, thanks to arrangements made by AMHS member and NASA retiree Joe Novello, a group of AMHS members toured the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and met with Nobel Prize winner Goddard physicist John Mather, who fulfilled the promise he made at the Society’s March meeting to share his expertise once again with interested participants.
The experience proved to be both enlightening and entertaining.The tour began with an introduction at the Visitors’ Center about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), of which Dr. Mather is the principal scientist. The projections on a globe called “Science on a Sphere” showed how the telescope, which is as large as a tennis court, will expand and unfold from the rocket when it reaches its destination of one million miles outside the earth’s orbit. Because it has infrared instrumentation, the telescope will be able to see further than any previous space telescopes.
The guide, Karen, escorted us to Building 29 where Dr. Mather greeted us warmly at the clean room, the largest one in the known universe, according to Dr. Mather. He explained that the purpose of this facility is to keep dust and dirt away from the instruments, mirrors and cameras during testing. In this case of the JWST, testing is underway to make sure that the telescope does indeed unfold like a butterfly when in space. One can see videos of the process at www.jwst.nasa.gov/webcam.html, and scale models of the telescope are on display in Building 29. Referring to his March lecture, Dr. Mather reiterated that the purpose of the telescope is to discover the origins of the ever expanding universe. His enthusiasm for his work is contagious, prompting many questions from the group, and encouraging them to look forward to the anticipated launch of the JWST in 2018. Karen led the group to Building 7, where vibration, thermal and vacuum testing take place.
She called this the “shake and bake” area. Because many of the instruments are test pieces, the same level of cleanliness is not needed as for those going into space. The final stop was the blanket shop, where ultra-thin thermal coverings for the instruments and spacecrafts are designed and created. It was encouraging to see that Karen displayed the same level of enthusiasm for the on-going work at NASA-Goddard as Dr. Mather, putting to rest the rumors of NASA’s imminent demise. The day concluded for many of the participants with lunch at Three Brothers Italian Restaurant in Greenbelt, patron of past AMHS Galas and a favorite lunch place for Goddard employees. The continued camaraderie, as well as the enjoyment of Italian food, proved to be a fine conclusion to another AMHS event. Many thanks to all who made the occasion a success.
AMHS CELEBRATES FERRAGOSTO 2014
On Sunday, August 17, over 80 AMHS members and friends gathered on the grounds of the Villa Rosa Nursing Home in Mitchellville, MD for the annual AMHS Ferragosto picnic. This was by far one of our best attended picnics, with great representation from AMHS, the Lucchesi nel Mondo-Tuscany Club, the Passatempo Meetup Group, and the Washington Winemakers! A major holiday in Italy, Ferragosto is traditionally celebrated with Mass, picnics, games, and music, and our festivities echoed that pattern. This year we had the great pleasure to have an 11:00 a.m. Mass said by Father Alex Dalpiaz, the new Chaplain of Villa Rosa, solely for picnic attendees.
The picnic festivities commenced at 12:30 p.m. under a bright, sunny sky. We played Italian cards, tombola and, of course – the ever popular bocce. Many delectable dishes from picnic baskets were generously shared, including various pasta dishes, lasagna, grilled meats and chicken, salads, and desserts, as well as homemade wine. We were very fortunate to have Father Dalpiaz and Father Marchetto, Pastor, Holy Rosary Church, join us for a good part of the day. Father Marchetto’s brother Silvano and his family were visiting from Italy and they too joined us for the day. It was very rewarding to see members and friends interact and enjoy the day together.
It is very apparent that our tradition of Ferragosto will continue to thrive in the coming years. Special thanks to the many members and friends who helped us set up for the picnic as well as clean up the pavilion at the conclusion of the event, especially Peter Bell, Ted Cocca, Dick DiBuono, James Flood, Maria Fresco, Dora LeoSantacroce, Joe and Joann Novello, Joe Onofrietti, Albert Paolantonio, Lynn Sorbara, and Sam Yothers.