L'Italo-Americano

SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano S ome look back at her role as Ambas- sador of the Made in Italy in Ameri- c a ; s o m e o t h e r s appreciate her entrepreneur- ial spirit; many experienced first-hand her philanthropic work. Everybody knows her a s t h e w o m a n w h o h a s touched not only people's lives, but also the arts, educa- tion, medical research, and culture. So far, Maria Manetti Shrem's journey has been nothing less than extraordi- nary. We talked to her a few days before the official open- ing of the new season of the San Francisco Opera, one of the many things she is pas- sionate about and has been part of her entire life. "I was born in Florence the d a y d i c t a t o r M u s s o l i n i declared war on France and the UK. I grew up surrounded by the unparalleled Floren- tine grandeur, something only humanities and the arts can create. The city was the cradle of the Renaissance; its monuments and the arts still remind us of the greatness created by patrons such as t h e M e d i c i f a m i l y , " M r s Manetti Shrem told us. Thanks also to her love for fashion, especially Italian craftsmanship, she became aware of how crucial the nat- ural and cultural environ- ment we live in is. Decades a g o , M r s M a n e t t i S h r e m designed a new and success- ful distribution system in North America, boosting the global market of the most iconic Italian fashion brands. Once in San Francisco, and thanks to the SF MoMA, she also learned about contempo- rary art and the importance of knowledge and awareness. In the latest press release announcing a $20 million estate gift to UC Davis (the l a r g e s t e v e r i n s u p p o r t humanities and the arts), with an additional $800,000 annually to fund the endow- ments, providing support in p e r p e t u i t y , M r s M a n e t t i Shrem wanted to highlight that art and the humanities should be accessible to all, as they nurture the soul while e m b o d y i n g o u r s h a r e d dreams. "Everybody can contribute to passing the torch of our cultural heritage to the next generation," she told us when we emphasized her many acts o f g e n e r o s i t y e s p e c i a l l y towards UC Davis: "My spe- cial relationship with one of the best colleges in the world started more than a decade ago thanks to artist, philan- t h r o p i s t a n d d e a r f r i e n d Margrit Mondavi. She asked me to help create a contem- porary art museum to pre- serve great artists' legacy. I knew nothing about UC Davis before Margrit's call. The museum opened in 2016, just a f e w m o n t h s a f t e r s h e passed." Today, the Jan Shrem a n d M a r i a M a n e t t i Shrem Museum of Art at UC Davis is globally recog- nized as as "one of the 25 World's best Museum build- ings of the past 100 years," as stated by ArtNews. Y e a r a f t e r y e a r , M r s Manetti Shrem's pledges to the UC Davis Foundation have grown consistently and exponentially. "I hope that through this latest donation, thousands of students and talents, faculty members, and internationally renowned artists find the best environ- m e n t f o r t h e i r i d e a s a n d dreams, and create an ever- lasting legacy that's going to contribute to a better world." More than fifty charitable programs across thirty-five foundations in a variety of fields are already benefiting f r o m t h e s e p h i l a n t h r o p i c efforts and another four or five will be added. "We con- sistently support Italian lan- guage and culture in New Y o r k , c o l l a b o r a t i n g w i t h Palazzo Strozzi US Founda- t i o n , a n d a l s o i n t h e S a n Francisco Bay Area schools, collaborating with COMITES, and the Italian Institute of Culture. We support the pro- motion of the Italian lan- guage in elementary and mid- dle schools, high schools, and colleges. Soon, we will have an Italian Book Prize, involv- ing students at every academ- ic level and writers visiting from Italy thanks to the direc- tor of the Italian Institute of Culture, Alberta Lai, and the Consulate's cultural attaché, Daniela Mazza. Also, I con- tributed to renovating some rooms at the Consulate Gen- eral of Italy to foster educa- tional programs and drive c u l t u r a l a n d b u s i n e s s exchange between Italy and the San Francisco Bay Area. We will celebrate with Consul Strozzi in December." T i m e i s n e v e r e n o u g h when there's so much to do, so having a team able to bal- a n c e n e w i n i t i a t i v e s w i t h e x i s t i n g p r o j e c t s i s p a r a - mount. "I've always believed in teamwork, since my early days as an entrepreneur with more than three hundred employees. To accomplish my p h i l a n t h r o p i c m i s s i o n , I count on a strategist, trustees, financial advisor, lawyer, accountant, and personal a s s i s t a n t . M a u r o A p r i l e Zanetti first joined as my cho- sen biographer in 2016 to write, direct, and produce a documentary about my life to motivate youth to live life to the fullest and inspire other b e n e f a c t o r s t o g i v e w i t h warm hands, not with cold ones after passing. Last year, when UC Davis presented me w i t h t h e U C D a v i s M e d a l honor degree as the top phil- anthropist in the humanities and the arts, Mauro screened a short version of the docu- mentary at the Mondavi Cen- ter for the Performing Arts at Davis, in the presence of the university's leadership. He is also my publicist, PR, and communication expert. We've become friends, including his marvelous wife and two kids. He has a unique, rare blend of intelligence and artistic sensitivity, high diplomacy, and business drive; he is a visionary but very pragmatic in execution. I appointed him as my philanthropy strategist to design projects that bring social impact between the US and Italy, but also in the UK, France, Mexico, and Africa. He is a great writer, un uomo del Rinascimento, a charming storyteller who empowers his audience with profound mul- t i c u l t u r a l k n o w l e d g e a n d humor. He can create good deeds wherever he chimes in. I treasure his friendship, loy- alty, creativity, lightness, fun, and integrity." Mauro Aprile Zanetti is also behind a Renaissance- like idea for an "Art District:" through a holistic approach to the arts, he worked with the UC Davis leadership on the "Maria Manetti Shrem Art District" to fulfill a con- temporary "Arts Renaissance Program" benefitting stu- d e n t s t h r o u g h d i f f e r e n t departments at the College of Letters and Science, including Art history, Design, Fashion and Textile, and the Manetti Shrem Museum of Contem- porary Art. On the occasion of the annual gala scheduled this January 25, 2025, the Art District will be officially inau- gurated with the first Ameri- can exhibition of Patrizia Sandretto Rebaudengo. Mrs Manetti Shrem's life was marked by prestigious awards and recognitions, m a k i n g h e r a t r a i l b l a z e r whose legacy will forever shine thanks to her experi- ence, wisdom, altruism, and kindness. When we asked about her recipe for a fulfill- ing life, she said the key is to focus on dreams and pas- sions, leaving both obsession with money and fear of living behind. "Nothing is easy; life can be very tough, but it is also a precious gift, the ulti- mate present. We must be grateful for it, live it to the fullest, and follow our passion and love to make great things h a p p e n . " S h e c o n t i n u e d : "Live, speak your voice, and raise it with determination. It's the most precious thing we have. Be prepared to bend and not to break. Never give up on your dreams. Embrace your vulnerability, don't be too harsh on yourself, sup- port your neighbor. I love I t a l i a n - A m e r i c a n p o e t Lawrence Ferlinghetti's idea for a good and long life: Man- gia bene. Ridi spesso. Ama m o l t o — E a t w e l l . L a u g h often. Love as much as you can. That's a simple, out- standing, and inspiring way to live." Very Italian, indeed. How giving back shaped the life and success of philanthropist Maria Manetti Shrem SERENA PERFETTO Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem at the museum opening in 2016 (Photo courtesy of MAZCulture)

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