L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY T e n a r t i s t s , t w o c o u n t r i e s a n d o n e e v o c a t i v e t h e m e : i t a l l a d d s u p t o a n e x t r a o r d i n a r y a r t e x h i b i t that will go on display this September in Perugia, Italy. K n o w n a s t h e M i g r a t i o n P r o j e c t , the i n t e r n a t i o n a l e x h i b i t i o n b r i n g s t o g e t h e r a m i x o f e x c e p t i o n a l t a l e n t , h a r d w o r k a n d a r t i s t i c v i s i o n . The exhibit showcases ten artists from Italy and the US who will display their work at the Civic Museum in Perugia. T h e j u r i e d - a r t p r o j e c t , announced last year, invit- e d a r t i s t s i n S e a t t l e a n d P e r u g i a t o c r e a t e w o r k based on their artistic inter- pretation of the concept of migration. Last month, five US artists were selected to participate: Humaira Abid, I o l e A l e s s a n d r i n i , M a r y Coss, Paul Goldstein and Malayka Gormally. The five a r t i s t s f r o m P e r u g i a a r e : Paolo Lattaioli, Sandford & G o s t i , T o n i n a C e c c h e t t i , V i l m a L o k a n d K i m H e e Jin. In September, the Seattle artists will travel to Italy w h e r e t h e i r w o r k w i l l b e shown alongside that of the f i v e P e r u g i n i a r t i s t s ; t h e exhibit will be curated by Antonio Carlo Ponti. The Seattle contingent will hold a p r e v i e w e x h i b i t l o c a l l y b e f o r e h e a d i n g t o I t a l y , details to be announced. Sponsoring organizations for the Migration Project a r e t h e S e a t t l e - P e r u g i a Sister City Association and i t s c o h o r t , t h e P e r u g i a - S e a t t l e S i s t e r C i t y Association, City of Perugia, and the Palazzo della Penna M u s e u m . T h e s i s t e r c i t y o r g a n i z a t i o n s h a v e b e e n raising funds to cover the $20,000 needed for ship- p i n g , t r a v e l a n d i n s t a l l a - tion. About 80% has been secured to date. H e r e i s a b r i e f l o o k a t five of the artists selected for the Migration Project. Others will be spotlighted in a future issue. M a r y C o s s is a visual artist whose haunting pro- jects explore issues of iden- tity, memory and social jus- tice. Born in Detroit, Mich., she received an MFA from Syracuse University before m o v i n g t o t h e P a c i f i c Northwest. Her public art installations are in public housing projects, parks and schools. One of her recent projects was the critically a c c l a i m e d L a y e r s o f t h e Hijab, a three-year social engagement project funded b y t h e N a t i o n a l E n d o w m e n t f o r t h e A r t s a n d t h e c i t y o f S e a t t l e . A n o t h e r a w a r d - w i n n i n g project focused on women suffrage. Malayka Gormally is a figurative painter, curator a n d c o m m i s s i o n p o r t r a i t artist. Raised in Berkeley, Calif., Gormally earned a B A f r o m T h e E v e r g r e e n State College. Her earlier works were based on racial j u s t i c e a n d i m m i g r a t i o n themes. "I'm interested in exploring connection and conflict between people of disparate races, generations and political beliefs," she said. "I'm also interested in the immigrant experience. I'm currently painting ink and watercolor portraits of i m m i g r a n t a n d w o m e n refugees affiliated with the Ethiopian Center of Seattle and the Tukwila office of the International Rescue Committee." S e a t t l e - b a s e d a r t i s t H u m a i r a A b i d , born in Pakistan, explores the idea of relationships and their after-effects. Some of her w o r k i s h u m o r o u s , s o m e ironical, but her themes are always timeless. She carves a n d c o n s t r u c t s i n w o o d , c o m b i n i n g t h a t m a t e r i a l with different media, blend- ing the discipline of tradi- t i o n a l M u g h a l m i n i a t u r e painting with sculpture in wood. Her first solo show, Searching for Home, was a l o o k a t t h e w o r l d w i d e r e f u g e e s i t u a t i o n . I t w a s organized and staged by the Bellevue Arts Museum and also appeared at the Center f o r A r t i n W o o d i n Philadelphia. On the other side of the Atlantic, one of the Italian a r t i s t s s e l e c t e d f o r t h e Migration Project is well- known architect and urban planner Paolo Lattaioli. Lattaioli uses detailed hand drawings to represent the complexity of urban loca- t i o n s . H e h a s w o r k e d o n p r o j e c t s a n d s t u d i e s f o r many Italian cities, includ- i n g P e r u g i a , R o m e , T o d i , Agrigento, Assisi and Milan, a s w e l l a s p r o j e c t s i n Sarajevo and Washington DC. Lattaioli received his training from La Sapienza University in Rome and cur- rently lives in Perugia. The team of Sandford and Gosti is also represent- ing Italy for the Migration Project. Jodi Sandford and Valter Gosti combine their interests in color and archi- tecture to create their dis- tinctive artistic expression. A couple both in life and in art — Sandford is from San Jose and Gosti from Perugia – the duo has worked as a team since 1976. Their artis- tic form ranges from instal- lation to performance to dig- ital photography and video. T h e t e a m h a s e x h i b i t e d i n A r g e n t i n a , A u s t r a l i a , Croatia, Cyprus, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain and the US. The Migration Project will be on display in the civic museum of Perugia, which is l o c a t e d i n t h e P a l a z z o della Penna, in the heart of the city. Famous for its a r c h i t e c t u r e a n d h i s t o r i c connection to the vibrant center of Perugia, the palaz- z o w a s o n c e t h e h o m e o f Ascanio della Penna, a 17 th century nobleman who was passionate about collecting f i n e a r t . H i s h o b b y w a s made infinitely easier by his years of service to the Grand Duke of Tuscany. T h e b u i l d i n g w a s c o n - structed on top of the ruins of a Roman amphitheater and ancient road, discovered d u r i n g r e s t o r a t i o n w o r k . T h e s o u t h e r n s i d e o f t h e f o u n d a t i o n i n c o r p o r a t e s p a r t o f t h e m e d i e v a l c i t y wall, sections of which can be seen in the interior hall- ways. Some of the museum's galleries are adorned with stunning frescoed ceilings that display both mythologi- cal and pastoral Umbrian themes. The permanent col- lection includes works by t h e f u t u r i s t p a i n t e r a n d U m b r i a n a r t i s t G e r a r d o Dottori. The Migration Project is just one of the many cultural a n d e d u c a t i o n p r o j e c t s undertaken by the Seattle- P e r u g i a S i s t e r C i t y Association, one of Seattle's 21 official sister cities. The s i s t e r c i t y p r o g r a m w a s f o u n d e d b y P r e s i d e n t Dwight D. Eisenhower to i n c r e a s e f r i e n d s h i p a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g b e t w e e n pairs of cities in different corners of the world. To learn more about the Migration Project: https:// seattle-perugia.org/migra- tion-project/ Architect and urban planner Paolo Lattaioli is one of five artists representing Italy in the upcoming Migration Project exhibition (Photo courtesy of P. Lattaioli) 10 artists selected for Seattle-Perugia migration art project RITA CIPALLA

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