Students are currently diving into the Guidebook project,  a response to a single location or a response to a path that they follow in & around Siena.  Specific themes to consider in the booklet response: multi-sensory materiality, site-specificity, alternative/non-touristic approaches, living heritage of artisans, connecting past to present.

We are looking forward to our trip on Thursday to visit Sator Print and Biblioteca Briganti.  We’ll have the chance to meet artisan Piergiorgio Bertolozzi and see his creations of calligraphy and book-binding at his studio Sator Print.

At the Briganti library we’ll explore references of historic and contemporary guidebooks, including the collection of “Librartis” contemporary artists’ books in many different formats, and the antique fold-out prints from Piranesi‘s “Views of Rome.”

Today we held a group critique to discuss the proposals students have created as a response to the Tempo Zulu project, site-specific interventions in the streets of Siena to bring contemporary perspectives to this historic center.  The critique was led by Bernardo Giorgi and Irene Lupi and some of our resident artists attended as well, contributing different points of view and valuable feedback.

Led by instructors Bernardo Giorgi and Irene Lupi, our students explored past meeting present in Siena through a guided walk: discovering contemporary interventions in the streets of Siena through the “Tempo Zulu” project, and seeing how artisans carry out the heritage of local traditions of art and handicraft while also being part of contemporary culture.  In particular, we met the master stone-carver Emilio Frati and saw his current exhibition in the loggia of Gli Uniti.  We then visited the metal-smith studio of Laura Brocchi, which has been her family’s occupation for many generations!  Resident artist Honey Jones-Hughes was able to visit us for the walk as well.

Looking at our Fall 2019 students’ first projects, a great start to the semester at Siena Art Institute & Siena School for Liberal Arts!  In the “Walk of Destiny” students were asked to create a response to an unexpected path they followed to an unknown destination according to a coin toss game, embracing uncertainty and non-traditional paths.  Projects ranged from photography to poetry to drawings to botany and more!  Responses were discussed amongst our students, faculty, and visiting artists including Honey Jones-Hughes, Pamela Lawton, Carlos Estévez,  and the resident artist of the Fondazione Musei Senesi Fatlumi Doci.  A lot of interesting ideas, already looking forward to the next projects!

To kick off the start of our Fall 2019 Semester, on Sept 2 we had a trip to the nearby hilltown of San Gimignano, here in the Province of Siena, for our first orientation excursion with our study abroad students from Siena School for Liberal Arts & Siena Art Institute, together with our current artists-in-residence Carlos Estevez and Honey Jones-Hughes, together with the current artist in residence of the Fondazione Musei Senesi, Fatlum Doci!

We explored how past meets present in this fascinating location, seeing the layers upon layers of historic architecture in the town’s walls, fortress, churches, and iconic towers.

We also viewed the current contemporary art exhibitions on view at Galleria Continua, with work by MICHELANGELO PISTOLETTO & PASCALE MARTHINE TAYOU “Una cosa non esclude l’altra – One thing doesn’t exclude the other” and BERLINDE DE BRUYCKERE “A single bed, a single room.”

A glimpse of the Spring 2019 Final Critique of the Art & Society course at the Siena Art Institute.  A lot of interesting work and thoughtful feedback from our students, teachers, and resident artist Boaz Aharonovitch. Heartfelt thanks to everyone for your participation!

You can follow the activities of our students in the Spring 2019 semester Art and Society course through the blog listings of “Spring 2019” category, and through their profile pages listed here:

• Kayoon Anderson
• Julia Denlinger
• Lauren Ferrara
• Cora Melcher

Join us for the SART SPRING SHOW !
EXHIBIT INAUGURATION SATURDAY MAY 11 4-6pm

The evening will begin at 4:15pm with the presentation of the works and refreshments offered by the Siena Art Institute, followed by a reading of works from the Creative Writing class of the Siena Art Institute and Siena School for Liberal Arts.

In addition, during the exhibit opening event it will also be possible to visit the studio of Boaz Aharonovitch, artist-in-residence at the Siena Art Institute during the month of May.

Following the inauguration, it will be possible to visit the exhibition from May 13 to 15 from 10:30 am to 6pm.

Free and open to the public.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1557909211033213/