As our semester speeds along, our students have completed their latest projects of the intro unit, responding to the Tempo Zulu stones in the city center of Siena.
Visit the students’ personal blog pages to see more about the work of our remarkable group of young artists:
On Sept 25th we had a talk with resident artist Magdalena Maślerz, goldsmith specialised in bone jewellery and a teacher of goldsmithing based in Kraków, Poland.
For more info: https://www.sienaart.org/News/Magdalena-Ma%C5%9Blerz-artist%27s-talk-Sept-25/
A presentation about the “Luoghi di Fuga” project (Places of Escape) with architect Annunziata de Comite, and exploring the hidden garden at the Fonte delle Monache, just down the street from the Siena Art Institute!
Every Wednesday is market day in the area surrounding #Siena’s Lizza Park and Fortress. We had a chance to check out this area with students from the Siena Art Institute and Siena School for Liberal Arts and Italian Language instructor Valeria Indice!
After a busy first week in the Intro Unit, our Fall 2018 students have created their first responses to the “Walk of Destiny” project!
Visit their personal blog pages to see more about our remarkable group of young artists:
During our Intro Unit walks we’ve had the chance to explore some hidden corners of Siena, including the Vicolo degli Orefici, a quiet alleyway filled with potted plants tended by the neighborhood residents. We also stoppedy by the Miseriocordia headquarters (a historic organization providing emergency medical care for the community) and Siena’s synagogue and walked through the historic Jewish neighborhood.
At Siena’s City Archives, we were able to see a wealth of historic tomes, scrolls, tablets, illuminated manuscripts as well as the unique Biccherne panel paintings. Of course a visit to the archives isn’t complete without enjoying the view from their balcony!
In our Exploring Siena walks around the historic city center, we had the lucky chance to see the Museum of the Leocorno Contrada, which the neighborhood volunteers kindly opened for us. It was a great opportunity to see some of the costumes and memorabilia from the neighborhood’s history, as well as the Palio banners they have won over the years and the beautiful chapel where the blessing of the horse ceremony is performed.
In the theme of Orientation and Disorientation, we’ve had the chance to take several walks around Siena, exploring its multi-layered history and the structures of the cityscape, including traces of the earlier precursors to the city walls and gates, as well as historic fountains, which were vital for the survival of the city and became important hubs of community activity.
We had the chance to visit the Biblioteca Briganti, seeing the Librartis collection of contemporary artists’ books as well as some gems of their collection like books of prints by Piranesi! Many thanks to library staff for taking the time to meet with our students.
For more info and opening hours about the Biblioteca Briganti:
https://www.santamariadellascala.com/en/services/#fototeca
