"Love" by Sophia Ruffini

Ciao amici!

I wanted to slide this newsletter in to that thin space of where something ends and where something starts, as it is an energized moment of the year.

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The Fall exhibition held at Casa Regis - “The Yearning for the Irrational” - proved to be an engaging and rich partnership between the artists and the building, underscoring the synergy created by different eras meeting. The artists were American, English, and Italian (including an expat from Japan and from China living in Italy) and the techniques and materials used very varied: raku ceramic, porcelain and fiber arts, refractory clay and plexiglass, pinhole photography, felted wool and hand weaving, gold leaf, sculpted wax, “la maniera nera” print, and chewing gum.

The presence of the artwork from this last show is still tangible in the space. I thank each one of the artists: Barbara Matilde Aloisio, Michela Cavagna, Alice Sheppard Fidler, Lisa Fontana, Eleonora Gugliotta, Chen Li,  Sara Munari, Greg Smith, Giulia Spernazza, and yukoh Tsukamoto.

UP NEXT

We welcome artist Alice Sheppard Fidler for a month long residency and solo exhibit

Alice's work will be on display from

March 26th – May 30th, 2022

I have always had a vision about how the structure of Casa Regis might not just host work, but trigger dialogues about making art in dedicated environments, and this is why I am so particularly pleased to announce our next artist in residence, Alice Sheppard Fidler. English, installation artist, whose practice involves speaking with and through old buildings as their uses transition and acquire new identities.

We have already planned several dates where the public is invited to come visit. As it is a residency designed to allow the artist to produce work throughout her stay, different works-in-progress will be visible at different stages.

Weekend of March 26-27th.

The first walk through will be the weekend of March 26-27th. One of the positive outcomes of the Rotary award was that Casa Regis has been inserted into the national F.A.I. (Fondazione Ambiente Italiano) open house day for architectural and garden treasures.

April 2nd

As last year, Casa Regis is adhering to the international Slow Art Day.  This is a day where the visitor is invited to stay for the afternoon, reflecting on the work, talking with the artist, having a tea in the garden in a small group.

April 17th

April 17th will be Alice's last day of her residence so it will be a kind of finissage for her but a vernissage for the rest of us, as the results from her stay will remain on exhibition  until May 30th.

(As per usual, visitors need to make a reservation and have a green pass)

GOOD NEWS

Casa Regis wins the award

"+Bellezza in Valle"

Casa Regis was the honored recipient of the Rotary award   “+Beauty in the Valley” dedicated to the requalification and revitalization of a building with new-formed connections to the community.

Upon the publication of the award, the first artist that exhibited at Casa Regis, Tommaso Panzeri, shared his appreciation,  "You set up a beautiful project: at a time when doors were closing, you reopened those rooms to the sunlight. A nice challenge in which you let me participate. Thank you."

I would love to share with you the Facebook page dedicated to other qualified projects that were selected as finalists.

Another treasure that came as a result of the Rotary award had to do with the visit by the panel of judges, including the architect, Luisa Bocchietto. With decades of experience dealing with historic buildings, she confirmed that the date of construction of Casa Regis was in the 1600s. While we had our suspicions, we had only found documents referencing the 1700s, so it was incredible news to find out its true age. It was always an honour to save this building, but now it is 100 years more of honour!

UPDATE ON THE PHOTO CONTEST

Let's not forget our annual update on the "5 Year Photo Marathon Contest" being held in Texas. An incredible local lady (who prefers to remain out of the public eye) generously and with the utmost of cool taste, hosted the exhibit again this year.

I just received the contestants submissions for the 4th year, and as you know, in the 5th year, a talented photographer will win a trip to stay with us here in Italy.

LIFE INTEREST

The above photo exhibit for the contest participants was held in a 1930s brick building, an ex-commercial space right off the historic town square, and as I was talking with the new owner responsible for salvaging the building, we were agreeing upon the beauty of the beginning of the process. Her space is still raw, where the wood rafters show, the brick walls are exposed, and she has no water. As at Casa Regis, I still find a kind of satisfaction derived from ‘survival mode’, where the normalcy of everyday operations such as turning on a faucet is still substituted by getting a bucket of water from the fountain. Of course, she and I will keep developing our facilities, but in the meantime, we took a moment to savor the simpleness and pleasure of not having everything.

WHAT'S GOING ON WITH OUR INTERNATIONAL CONNECTIONS?

U.S. LIASON, VCPROJECTS.ART

I would like to take a moment here to point out the value of meaningful longterm connections. Victoria Chapman from her platform vcprojects.art has directed many artists our way, including Alice Sheppard Fidler. Thank you Victoria! In a similar vein, my artist-helping-other-artists soul is rewarded by the fact that Erica Shires first came to Casa Regis on an invitation to make a kickstarter video and because of it is now show-cased in Victoria's exhibition space El Nido.

ENGLISH LIASON, THE HIDE

WHAT IS CASA REGIS?

The empty rooms, in their current rough and ready state, can be used for inspiration, installation, interpretation, videos, conceptual performances, writing, and group workshops.  I invite  thinkers, travelers, artists and Italophiles of all natures to consider Casa Regis as their crative location. Please send a photo of yourself and your proposal and ask about availability. 

Infocasaregis@gmail.com

Thank you for not just following our news but being part of our news.

L. Mikelle Standbridge