ITALIAN ARTISTS AT CASA ITALIANA

For the first time, Casa Italiana on Sunday, November 30, 2014, was the venue for an art lovers’ event featuring 10 Italian artists, giving Washington area residents a chance to meet these talented artists, view their works of art on display, and do some early Christmas shopping.

The wide variety of art on display included mosaics, ceramics painting, sculpture, photography and jewelry. One of the artists was AMHS member Antonio Bianchini, who worked with Holy Rosary Parish Council members Armida Oradei and Nancy DeSanti, with the support of Father Ezio Marchetto, to organize and promote this unique event. Antonio displayed a number of his mosaics, which he made using the painstaking technique he learned from the masters of Ravenna, the capital of mosaics in Italy (if not the world).

During the all-day event, Antonio unveiled his latest work—a large mosaic of Madonna and Child—and announced that he is donating it to Father Ezio for the church. Another artist at the event who was familiar to many was Roberto Paolinelli, who teaches ceramics classes at Casa Italiana and who displayed a variety of his beautiful ceramics made using the famous maiolica technique he learned in Castelli, Abruzzo (see related article on Castelli in this Notiziario). AMHS members may recall that Roberto gave a talk at our July 27, 2014 meeting on the arts, together with Antonio Bianchini and Raffaele DeGregorio.

The other talented artists at the Casa Italiana event included Davide Prete, a sculptor who teaches at the Corcoran Gallery; Giancarlo Chiancone, a medical doctor from Salerno who brought some of his beautiful paintings; Michela Mansuino, who came down from Philadelphia bringing her still life paintings with vibrant colors using the technique she learned in Siena; Jane Lepscky, a painter who lived in Italy for 20 years, who brought beautiful landscape paintings of Italy; Paola Lugli, an interior designer who makes jewelry from all kinds of unusual materials;

Alessandra Bianco, who brought wonderful photographs of Italy such as the Leaning Tower of Pisa; Sofia Caligiuri, who had unique and beautiful paintings and bas relief (rilievi); Armida Oradei and Giuliana Canè, who combined their talents and did a table together featuring their one-of-a-kind necklaces and other jewelry. Towards the end of the event, wine and pizza bianca was served. All in all, it was a nice opportunity for artists and art lovers to come together at Casa Italiana.