Take a look at Lola Fiur’s spectacular photography on this link. She is at Art Workshop International in the drawing class - it will be interesting to see how her photography influences her drawing.
-Chris Spencer
We are in the midst of so much art. Three classes are going on simultaneously - art-making, drawing, and pastel portraiture. Our studio is divided into three sections so that the activities are adjacent, yet separate. Art isn’t just in the classes, though. Yesterday we looked at a DVD from Ellen Eagle of her work (on the TV in the hotel lobby), and today we looked at Edith Isaac-Rose’s art. Also yesterday, some of the participants went to Spello to look at Pintoricchio’s work. And, then there is art in other forms, such as music. Here’s a link to a review of the Pintoricchio exhibit in Perugia and Spello, and also to S.J. Rozan’s comments about a concert last night in Assisi, Italy.
-Chris Spencer
Our writing teacher S.J. Rozan is keeping a daily blog of Art Workhshop International in Assisi, too. And, I’m sure that hers will be much more erudite than mine! Here’s a link to her blog - today she’s talking about the opening of the Olympics in China.
In my opinion, Assisi takes world peace very seriously. So it’s no surprise that there was a “Free Tibet” spectacolo in the main piazza at the opening of the Olympic games in China with Tibetan dancing and singing. The city bells tolled for several minutes, followed by a speech from a local official.
-Chris Spencer
Archie and I grabbed a taxi for the train station (not enough time to take the bus). Our taxi driver tried to talk us out of going there - why not Gubbio, or Spoleto, Foligno doesn’t have anything! In fact the guidebook information was sparse. We were after the Pallazo Trinci and the restored frescoes. Virtually the whole building was open in a combination archeological museum, art museum, and the palazzo. So many nooks and crannies, and several places where you could see the cartoon underpaintings, or sinopia. The best perserved was the chapel, with the story of Jesus and Mother Mary covering every square inch. The stores looked interesting, but after we had a light lunch in the main piazza, they were closed for the siesta. Bicycles were everywhere (the town is on the plain and flat) and we could have rented one. Another time!
-Chris Spencer
August 5
Daily Diary of Art Workshop International. Tonight was the last day of our art and creative writing classes. Artists Lani Irwin and Alan Feltes were two of the special guests that came to our reading and open studio. Rosellen Brown read a new piece about the agonies of lost luggage, and Paula Webb a comic piece of why you shouldn’t ask her for directions. Other talks were about names, camp experiences, mother’s recipes. It was a fun, interesting evening that capped off the first session of our art and creative writing workshop in Assisi.
-Chris Spencer
Note: This is why I recommend that you put the address of your destination (including a phone number) on your bag, plus another address label inside your bag. This year (knock on a luggage carousel), we have had no lost bags! Maybe Linda Stasi’s article has had some effect. Here is her recent article in the New York Post. I loaned her clothes, too, but it’s a better story to focus on charming B.J.!
-Chris Spencer
EVER spend two weeks in an ancient, charming city in Italywith no money and nothing to wear but a pair of giant men’s boxershorts and a trashy tank top with the word “Ciao!” emblazoned in rhinestones?
I have.
The story of how I went frombliss in Air France’s first-class cabin to looking like an escapee from the cast of “Rent” is fairly simple.
It started with me finally deciding to take the trip that I’d dreamed of taking since Jesus was in swaddling Pampers - a stint at the Art Workshops International Summer Program in Assisi.
Two weeks of writingmy heart out, along with other writers, artists and seekers. Unfortunately, when I packed back home it never occurred to me thatthe Italians might be in the midst of yet another airport workslow-down. By the time I’d landed at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, CNN wasreporting that possibly 100,000 pieces of luggage were lost, missing or otherwise unavailable to their owners there. The chances of ever finding my bags? Slimmer than Amy Winehouse’s thighs.
Luckily I was met at the airport by several other students who had volunteered to pick up newbies and drive them to Assisi. They waited patiently while I tried to find my bags. Right. I snuck into an area roughly the size of the Coliseum and saw thousands of bags covered in a month’s worth of dust.
I wasn’t worried. Air France had told me, “no problem” - right? They had promised to find and deliver my bag the next day. Clue: As soon as someone in Europe says, “No problem,” you may as well kill yourself.
Oh well, I’d just have to buy a few things to hold me over in the fabulous airport shops - some undies, a sundress, sunglasses.
That’s when “no problem” became a “huge problem.” Citibank had also decided to invalidate my ATM card because I hadn’t informed them that I was traveling.
A few hours later I found myself in Assisi without clothes, without money - and worse - without cosmetics and phone charger. You mean I couldn’t call home? My hair would remain frizzy?
With the few Euros I had brought from home, I bought apair of men’s boxers and tank top at a kiosk.
Instead of being bohemian chic at breakfast, lunch and dinner, I was the skank at the table in the same outfit everyday at every meal. It was so bad that I was thrilled to find a safety pin. At least I could finally close the fly.
On day three a student either took pity on me or couldn’t bear looking at me any longer and bought me a cool pair of Italian rubber sandals. Finally, something other than my ratty, sweaty giant clogs. Sweet.
Next day a guy in that same class bought me some socks. On Wednesday a woman in the painting class bought me bikini underpants - red, white and black. Someone else gave me a bracelet.
For an elegant dinner the school was hosting, my sock dealer -CBS producer B.J. D’Elia, as it happens - lent me his button downshirt. An 80-year old painter lent me her embroidered gypsy skirt.Cellphones and cameras were offered. Ah, the kindness of strangers.
Ten days later, my luggage unceremoniously arrived.By now, I was almost indifferent. Did I need all that stuff?
To learn more about the program, visit artworkshopintl.com.
Monday August 4
Before dinner tonight we saw Sandra Perlow’s slides of her art. She is having a solo show in Chicago when she returns. Sandra uses layers of acrylics, different papers to collage and oil sticks for her abstract paintings.
Many of the group also went on to the Basilica to hear a chorus from Denmark. Only for an event like this are the frescoes lit. To sit in a beautiful environment and experience a lovely concert is very different from walking through the church with a horde of tourists.
-Chris Spencer
August 3
The bells ring and ring on Sunday morning. The writing group made an early trip to the cemetery and used it as the basis for a writing exercise. According to one of the participants, even the names are a good source of ideas. And, then, since so many of the tombs have pictures, you have the unusual juxtaposition of, for example, a young man who died, and he is next to a picture of an old womann, his wife who survived him by many years.
Saturday, August 2
Art Workshop International bought a copy of Fellini’s Amarcord and watched it on the large TV in the hotel lobby last night after dinner. A big hit, and it felt perfetto to listen to it in Italian and try to follow along (although the subtitles certainly helped).