A Legacy of Making is the title given to a series of exhibitions featuring the work of artists who are inspired by their Italian or Italian American culture. I selected these artists from my book, Italianità: Contemporary Art Inspired by the Italian Immigrant Experience.
A Legacy of Making: Contemporary Artists Inspired by Their Italian Heritage, Part 2, Regis College
February-May, 2025
Two exhibitions, spanning an entire academic year in the Carney Gallery at Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts, allowed me to feature the work of New England artists while also showing the work of Italianità from farther afield.
In this panorama, from left: three by Grace DeGennaro on far wall, installation of small works by Hugo Rizzoli, Roberta Tucci vertical triptych, large painting by Lloyd Martin, a small and large work by Mark Wethli; Robert (Steriti) Maloney print; four Grace Roselli photographs; foreground: Thomas Micchelli sculptures
Click here to view a walk-through of Part 2
A Legacy of Making: Contemporary Artists Inspired by Their Italian Heritage, Part 1, Regis College
September-December, 2024
Here you are greeted by an eight-foot-diameter "doily" by Jennifer Cecere, which recalls the handwork she learned from her grandmother on a much smaller scale. This exhibition focused on several themes: handwork, nature, language, food, heriotage, and immigration
Click here to view a walk-through of Part 1
A Legacy of Making: 26 Contemporary Artists Inspired by Their Italian Heritage, Connecticut College
September-October, 2024
Entrance to A Legacy of Making: 26 Contemporary Artists Inspired by Their Italian Heritage from Connecticut College's campus green. This ground-level space, entered both from here and from an interior staircase, extends to a skylighted upper level, the Atrium Gallery. Each level is partially viewable from the other, affording you a dramatic view of the installation. Here, work by John Avelluto, foreground; and clockwise around the gallery, by Angelica Bergamini, Diana González Gandolfi, Timothy McDowell, and Carolanna Parlato
Interior entrance to A Legacy of Making: 26 Contemporary Artists Inspired by Their Italian Heritage. Here: B. Amore on partition wall; Claudia DeMonte sculpture on pedestal
Installation view in the Atrium Gallery. From left: Patricia Miranda; far end: three by Mary Schiliro; back wall: Elisa D'Arrigo, Lisa Zukowski; right wall: Jennifer Cecere, Milisa Galazzi
Installation view encompassing both levels. In the Atrium (top) level, Patricia Miranda. Lower level, from left on wall: Paul Fabozzi, Lloyd Martin, Carolanna Parlato; foreground on multiple pedestals, Laura Moriarty; single pedestal, Don Porcaro
Click here to view a walk-through of the entire exhibition.
A Legacy of Making: 21 Contemporary Italian American Artists at the Calandra Institute, New York City
September 2023 - April 2024
Calandra Gallery panorama, looking in as you come off the elevator: Nancy Azara, Mary Schiliro,
B. Amore, two by Diana González Gandolfi, Lisa Zukowskl (on pedestal); far wall: Karen Schifano. Gianluca Bianchino. Timothy McDowell, Chris Costan, Carolanna Parlato; John Avelluto (on pillar), Claudia DeMonte (on foreground pedestal); Elisa D’Arrigo (on far pedestal and wall), John Monti, Patricia Miranda
A Legacy of Making was on view the Calandra Institute for almost eight months, September 2023 through April 2025. Joseph Sciorra and I co-curated the exhibition, which features 21 of the 59 artists in Italianità. Sciorra, who is the director of cultural and academic programs at the Calandra Institute, is also the author of Italianità's Foreword, so he was familiar with both the book's thesis and the artists in it.
The Calandra Institute, an Italian American research institute affiliated with Queens College--but located in Midtown Manhattan--is at 25 W. 43rd Street, You can take a virtual walk-through of the exhibition here and read more about in in my conversation with John Avelluto in Two Coats of Paint